Interpol – A Fine Mess EP

Interpol, the band who once, briefly, shone brightest during the New York post-punk revival of the early 2000s, are on something of a redemptive arc. After a real creative slump at the turn of the decade, the sad result of a drawn-out decline, the band went on hiatus after losing bass powerhouse Carlos Dengler and a desire to reassess what the band Interpol meant going forward.

They emerged out the other side as a trio with a renewed vigour for their craft; sure, nothing quite hit the heights of their first two-and-a-half records, but they were back to making stronger sounding material with 2014's El Pintor. Last year's Marauder continued the band's winning streak, solidifying their definitive sound. New EP A Fine Mess is the off-cuts from last year's full-length and – perhaps because of its short nature at just five tracks – possibly their best post-hiatus release yet.

Opener Fine Mess is the kind of simple motif the band have been missing for a while now, and Real Life is one of the band's catchiest efforts in some time. There is forever a nagging feeling with Interpol, however, that they have settled into their sound. While it's an improvement from their lowest ebbs, it will equally never match their highest peaks.

Listen to: Fine Mess, Real Life, The Weekend