Silent Alarm

Silent Alarm is the debut studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with producer Paul Epworth, it was released in February 2005 on Wichita Recordings. The record peaked at number three on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. The double A-side "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet", and "Pioneers" were released as singles. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one million copies.
Bloc Party aimed to create an album that appealed to followers of different musical genres. Building on the arrangements in their demo songs recorded in 2004, the band members moulded tracks largely through live takes during the Silent Alarm studio sessions. The compositional focus was on rhythm and the drum and bass parts, while lyricist Kele Okereke's writing examined the feelings and hopes of young adults, including views on global politics. Following the album's completion, Bloc Party embarked on promotional tours before its release.
Four singles were released from the album: "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet", "Pioneers" and "Two More Years" (the latter only appeared on the re-released version of the album). The album also included the previously released singles "She's Hearing Voices" (which was re-recorded for the album) & "Helicopter" on the original release of the album, with "Little Thoughts" also added to the re-released version of the album. A remix of the song "Like Eating Glass" was also released as a split-single with the band The Futureheads by Oxfam.
Silent Alarm garnered widespread critical acclaim. Praise often centred on its fast tempo and passionate delivery. The record was generally treated as showcasing the potential high quality of British music. Later in 2005, it was remixed as Silent Alarm Remixed and was re-released with bonus tracks to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The album has received accolades throughout the music industry since its release.