The Perfect Song #3 - This Modern Love - Bloc Party
In “This Modern Love”, Bloc Party reveal their signature intricate songwriting skills, angsty lyrics and beautiful instrumentation. The perfect song from their breakout debut album Silent Alarm, “This Modern Love” tells a story of a relationship going through tough times, all whilst making compelling statements on alienation, romance and love. The track continues to stand out 20 years later.
Bloc Party at the 2005 NME Awards (© Jo Hale/Getty Images)
Song: This Modern Love
Artist: Bloc Party
Album: Silent Alarm (2005)
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[Verse 1]
To be lost in the forest, to be caught adrift
You've been trying to reach me, you bought me a book
To be lost in the forest, to be caught adrift
I've been paid, I've been paid
To be lost in the forest, to be caught adrift
You've been trying to reach me, you bought me a book
To be lost in the forest, to be caught adrift
I've been paid, I've been weighed, I've been
[Verse 2]
Don't get offended if I seem absent-minded
Just keep telling me facts and keep making me smile
And don't get offended if I seem absent-minded
I get tongue-tied
Baby, you've got to be more discerning
I've never known what's good for me
Baby, you've got to be more demanding
I will be yours
[Bridge]
I'll pay for you anytime
I'll pay for you anytime
[Verse 3]
And you told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
Well jump on, enjoy, you can gorge away
And you told me you wanted to eat up my sadness
(Jump right)
Baby, you've got to be more discerning
I've never known what's good for me and
Baby, you've got to be more demanding
(Jump left)
What are you holding out for?
What's always... (In the way?)
Why so damn absent-minded?
Why so scared... (Of romance?)
[Chorus]
This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me
This modern love breaks me
This modern love wastes me
[Outro]
Do you wanna come over and kill some time?
Do you wanna come over and kill some time?
Do you wanna come over and kill some time?
Throw your arms around me
Bloc Party rose to indie stardom in the mid-2000s with the release of their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm. Keen to overcome the post-punk revival act moniker, the album successfully marked Bloc Party as a unique, inventive and exciting act in the independent music scene. In the roughly 20 years since Silent Alarm hit the streets, Bloc Party have failed to reach the same heights, although follow-up record A Weekend in the City contains a collection of gems (“Hunting for Witches”, “Flux” to name a few). On Silent Alarm, “Like Eating Glass”, “Helicopter” and “Banquet” instantly give the record its pulsating energy. The album’s perfect song and its emotional bedrock, however, is “This Modern Love”.
One of the reasons “This Modern Love” is such a perfect piece of music is its unorthodox structure (consecutive verses before moving into one rendition of the chorus and ending with an outro). It starts with only the beautiful guitar and bass lines and is instantly gripping. Lead singer Kele Okereke’s wistful vocals, drenched in distortion and performed almost as spoken word, convey his struggle to reconcile feelings of alienation with a romantic relationship.
The song then moves into an instrumental break. The guitar is intoxicating, the drums build up the tension as we jump from verse to verse. The verses continue Kele’s conversation with his romantic partner as they wrestle with relationship struggles. Two-and-a-half minutes into the song, the verses finally lead into the chorus – a release of all the tension that had been building up throughout the song. The final verse ends with Kele’s partner demanding to know: What are you holding out for? What’s always in the way? Why so damn absent minded? Why so scared of romance? “This modern love / Breaks me / This modern love / Wastes me”, an exasperated Kele sings in response, backed up by the gorgeously played lead guitar and haunting backing vocals. The couple are seemingly unable to resolve their conflict and to ignite a romantic spark.
The song could have ended there. However, after another delightful instrumental break, the lovely outro ends the song and the relationship squabble on a conciliatory note, as Kele asks his partner: “Do you wanna come over and kill some time? Do you wanna come over and kill some time? Do you wanna come over and kill some time? Throw your arms around me.” Does it get more romantic than that?