It feels like a work in progress and sounds like a true demo. Instead of making sure that guitar line reverberates, the instruments sloppily smoosh into each other. “Real Life” has that signature single note riff that’s a staple in most of Interpol’s bangers, but the mix isn’t even aware of the formula. The EP’s five songs were recorded at the same time as the Marauder sessions and his maximalist production approach continues to clash with Interpol’s sleek, compressed tension in their songwriting. Fridmann has the resumé, but some things aren’t a good fit. The stated intentions behind collaborating with Fridmann for the Marauder sessions was the hope of bringing in an intense energy. There are also some blaring keys in the song’s back half that might’ve been a nice psychedelic touch if there was an effort to give them some color. On the EP’s opening title track, however, they clash in ugly drunken fisticuffs, sounding like amateurish punk from dudes who are not amateur punks. The most elegant Kessler/Banks compositions play like they’re sizing each other up until they converse and reckon for the climax. On A Fine Mess, there’s a sense that the production actively tries to disrupt what Interpol does well.
Making an album sound waterlogged is not an aesthetic. Paul Banks’ voice sounded gargled when he opened his throat on the hooks, and sometimes Daniel Kessler’s guitar notes puttered out as if it’s him who doesn’t realize he has to really press those guitar strings against the fretboard. It sounds like producer Dave Fridmann was working against the band’s interest. But in a way, Marauder’s failings were more frustrating because they can’t be compartmentalized as the trio simply tripping over themselves. You can reason with many of Interpol’s misses every band loses steam at some point. “ The Rover” was fine, too, although the album it was on, last year’s Marauder-a loose concept album about saying goodbye to the band’s heyday in the early aughts-was less so. Even their self-titled record’s “ Barricade” might stick if you let it. Every album after 2007’s Our Love to Admire, when they stopped being a fascination of indie culture writ large, does have a couple of straightforward thrillers on them. Interpol’s brilliance comes in sparks these days.
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