Flame Down Pacific Highway

Interpol “Toni”

Interpol is a band that has stayed within rather narrow aesthetic boundaries for two decades so “Toni,” a song that prominently features piano, can hit as a bold new direction even if everything else about it sounds like an Interpol song. Daniel Kessler’s piano part here isn’t that different from what he’d play on a guitar but it changes the temperature of the music like a gust of cold wind blowing through the room. The delicate tonality of the piano brings out a wounded quality in Paul Banks’ voice on the verses, and then a more majestic feel once the drums pick up and the vocal harmonies kick in. Interpol have always specialized in austerity and stateliness, but this song pushes beyond that towards a refined elegance. Banks’ lyrics, as enigmatic as ever, suggest the point of view of a worn down person who’s feeling an unexpected optimism, though it seems to be tempered by self-interest. The character comes across as complicated, but the music makes the glimmer of hope in the song feel profound and hard-won.

Buy it from Bandcamp.