Turn On the Bright Lights by Interpol

Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol's debut, landed on Matador in August 2002, and it sounds like New York after midnight. Peter Katis produced it at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut, back in November 2001, with Gareth Jones lending a hand on the mix, and the Manhattan four-piece deal in elegant dread: Paul Banks's dead-eyed croon over Daniel Kessler's chiming, interlocking guitar lines, Carlos Dengler's bass stabbing in staccato and Sam Fogarino's snare cracking right up front.

The Joy Division and Television comparisons write themselves, but the gloom has a pulse. "PDA" and "Obstacle 1" twitch and lunge, while the slow, aching "NYC" gave the album its title. It was acclaimed on arrival, and it has since become a touchstone for a whole wave of indie bands.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.