Alpha Games

Alpha Games is the sixth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party, released on 29 April 2022. It is the first studio album by the band since 2016's Hymns. It is notably the first album with drummer Louise Bartle, who joined the band after drum sessions for Hymns had been completed,[3] and the first to feature significant songwriting input from Bartle and bassist Justin Harris with Hymns having been mostly written by lead singer Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack.[4]

Alpha Games
Studio album by
Bloc Party
Released29 April 2022
Genre
Length39:38
Label
Producer
Bloc Party chronology
Hymns
(2016)		 Alpha Games
(2022)
Singles from Alpha Games
  1. "Traps"
    Released: 23 November 2021
  2. "The Girls Are Fighting"
    Released: 26 January 2022
  3. "Sex Magik"
    Released: 25 February 2022
  4. "If We Get Caught"
    Released: 24 March 2022

Background and recording

Bloc Party released its last studio album, Hymns, in 2016.[5] On 22 January 2020, lead singer Kele Okereke announced on his personal social media accounts that Bloc Party had begun writing a new album in the previous few weeks.[6] On 23 November 2021, they officially announced the album and they released the first single "Traps" the same day.[5] Speaking about "Traps", Okereke said: "From the moment we wrote 'Traps', we knew it had to be the first thing people heard from this album; playing it in soundchecks on our last tour before it was finished and hearing how it sounded in those big rooms and outdoors."[7] The album was released on 29 April 2022.[5] Alpha Games was produced by Nick Launay and Adam Greenspan and released under the record label Infectious Music/BMG Rights Management.[7][8] A second single "The Girls Are Fighting" was released on 26 January 2022 and its music video was released on 28 January.[9] On 25 February 2022, the third single "Sex Magik" was released.[10] A fourth single "If We Get Caught" was released on 24 March 2022.[11]

The band toured the UK and Europe in May 2022 in support of the album.[5] On 29 July, Bloc Party released a deluxe edition entitled Alpha Games (Deluxe) which featured three new songs: "Acting Out", "The Robot and the Psychonaut", and "Strut".[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The A.V. ClubC+[14]
Clash8/10[15]
MusicOMH[16]
Pitchfork5.2/10[2]
PopMatters8/10[17]
Spin(favorable)[18]
The Telegraph[19]

Alpha Games was met with generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 65, based on 11 reviews.[13]

In a positive review for Clash, Laviea Thomas wrote that the album was "an exciting return with addictive hooks and array of infectious album stand outs".[15] PopMatters' Peter Piatkowski, similarly, called the album "a superb return to form" in his review, adding: "So many of Alpha Games' fiery numbers make the record an exciting listen, but the thoughtful, pensive moments lift the album to something genuinely special."[17] More mixed reviews came from Pitchfork and The Telegraph. Writing for the former, Patrick Lyons criticised the band for their lack of imagination: "A devoted fan with a magnifying glass could identify every trick Alpha Games lifts from Silent Alarm," he wrote. Lyons did, however, praise the drumming and vocal work of Bartle, describing her contributions as "a new trick in Bloc Party's repertoire" and "the album's best hooks".[2] Writing for the latter, meanwhile, Neil McCormick noted that the band sounded "strangely ambivalent" on the album, adding that they seemed "trapped between the visceral thrill of lean, modern guitar music and their doubts about its form and function".[19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Justin Harris, Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack and Louise Bartle

Alpha Games track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Day Drinker"3:13
2."Traps"2:54
3."You Should Know the Truth"3:01
4."Callum Is a Snake"1:59
5."Rough Justice"3:13
6."The Girls Are Fighting"3:55
7."Of Things Yet to Come"4:03
8."Sex Magik"3:26
9."By Any Means Necessary"2:49
10."In Situ"2:55
11."If We Get Caught"3:14
12."The Peace Offering"4:51
Total length:39:38
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Acting Out"2:47
14."The Robot and the Psychonaut"4:05
15."Strut"3:25
Total length:49:57

Personnel

Bloc Party

  • Kele Okereke – vocals, guitar
  • Russell Lissack – guitar
  • Justin Harris – bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Louise Bartle – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional personnel

  • Nick Launay – production, mixing, engineering
  • Adam Greenspan – production, mixing, engineering
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Samantha Meadows – layout
  • John Russell – drum technician
  • Simon Jayes – drum technician
  • George Chung – engineering assistance

Charts
Chart performance for Alpha Games
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] 91
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] 39
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC)[23] 5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 41
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 7
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[26] 2
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[27] 57

References
  1. Phares, Heather. "Alpha Games - Bloc Party | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  2. Lyons, Patrick (6 May 2022). "Bloc Party: Alpha Games Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. Gerard, Chris (4 February 2016). "Bloc Party: Hymns". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  4. Niesen, Ben (19 May 2022). ""Jaws Underneath Your Feet": A Conversation with Bloc Party's Kele Okereke". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  5. Krol, Charlotte (23 November 2021). "Bloc Party return with new song 'Traps' and announce sixth album 'Alpha Games'". NME. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  6. Moore, Sam (22 January 2020). "Kele Okereke postpones UK solo tour to finish new Bloc Party album". NME. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  7. Gomez, Jade (23 November 2021). "Bloc Party Announce Alpha Games, Share New Single "Traps"". Paste. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  8. Whitaker, Marisa (23 November 2021). "Bloc Party Announce Alpha Games, Share 'Traps'". Spin. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. Zemler, Emily (28 January 2022). "Bloc Party Recount a Bad Night Out in 'The Girls are Fighting'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  10. Zemler, Emily (25 February 2022). "Bloc Party Get Nostalgic on Pulsating New Single 'Sex Magik'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  11. "Bloc Party Share New Track 'If We Get Caught'". DIY. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  12. "Bloc Party release Alpha Games (Deluxe) via Infectious". Music-News.com. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  13. "Alpha Games by Bloc Party". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  14. Freedman, Max (28 April 2022). "Bloc Party attempts a revival on the uneven Alpha Games". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. Thomas, Laviea (28 April 2022). "Bloc Party - Alpha Games". Clash. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  16. Murphy, John (28 April 2022). "Bloc Party – Alpha Games". MusicOMH. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  17. Piatkowski, Peter (29 April 2022). "Bloc Party: Alpha Games (Album Review)". PopMatters. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  18. McDuffie, Candace (28 April 2022). "Bloc Party Relishes In Their Signature Sound On Alpha Games". Spin. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  19. McCormick, Neil (29 April 2022). "Willie Nelson at the peak of his powers, Bloc Party attempt a comeback – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  20. "Ultratop.be – Bloc Party – Alpha Games" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  21. "Ultratop.be – Bloc Party – Alpha Games" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bloc Party – Alpha Games" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  23. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  24. "Swisscharts.com – Bloc Party – Alpha Games". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  26. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  27. "{{{artist}}} Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
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