Jumping from the cozy minor league confines of Indie label Matador to the big time, bright lights and high expectations of major label biggie Capitol, Our Love to Admire is Interpol's attempt at taking their Joy Division meets The Cure sound to a much wider audience. Long-time fans can breathe easy, however, because just about the only difference between the Interpol of old and the movin-on-up Interpol is that bassist Carlos D. (who for some reason is always more sought after for photo ops than lead singer Paul Banks) now has a moustache that makes him virtually unrecognizable. That's about it.

Our Love to Admire essentially doesn't find Interpol taking many risks on this larger stage. Most will undoubtedly be okay with their beloved Interpol coloring safely within the lines, slapping down their "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" card. Frankly I felt these NYC boys were let off the hook with that on their last record, Antics, and if I were in charge of the game they'd no longer have a "Get Out of Jail Free" card tucked under their side of the board.

Yes, first single "The Heinrich Maneuver" and following track (and my personal vote for next single) "Mammoth" are catchy as all get out and powerful as hell - but c'mon, haven't we heard Interpol do this kind of thing countless times before over their last two albums? Our Love's opening tracks "Pioneer to the Falls" and "No I in Threesome" are pretty in their dreary and beat down sort of way, but my favorite track is the near tail end ballad "Wrecking Ball" with Paul Banks laying down some of his most affectingly emotional vocals of his career. It's the only track here that finds them pushing the envelope and it pays off in full. Our Love to Admire is just about as solid as Interpol's previous works and fans will surely flock to it in droves. Still, you have to wonder how long the droves will be content with the "been there done that" course that Banks and the blokes seem so intent upon staying.