The mid 2000s saw no shortage of bands offering an electrifying mixture dance punk and post punk (see also: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, etc).

However, few groups managed to do so with the sheer excitement and urgency as Bloc Party did on their 2005 debut.

From the opening siren-like guitar riffs of “Like Eating Glass,” the record moves with a primal energy that is equal parts rage and dance party. Bouncing bass riffs encircle angular drum patterns and stabbing guitar lines. All of this is underpinned by the spitfire vocal delivery of Kele Okereke. His voice ranges from machine gun sloganeering to a dark post punk growl to a delicate croon.

The energy of these songs is often greater than the sum of its parts, though. Eats easy to see what makes blistering rippers like “Helicopter” such bangers, but it’s a littler harder to quantify what makes softer songs like “Blue Light” just as infectious. Plenty of bands can be exciting while playing fast and loud and spitting out singalong anthems. But somehow, Bloc Party gives ballads like “So Here We Are” just as much drama and energy as firestorms like “Luno.”

And honestly, I’m not sure I can properly articulate what exactly makes this record so irresistible. I know that putting why I like music into words is supposed to be the whole point of a review blog, but in this case I’m coming up short. This is a fantastic record, but I’m unable to distill why I feel that so strongly into words. It is a record that sounds very of-it’s-time without sounding cliche at all. It’s familiar, yet has a freshness that outlasts its fifteen year vintage.

And times like these, I’m especially glad that I never bit the bullet and paid over $100 for this record before this repress. Although if I had, it’d have probably been worth it.