The Musiquarium

Genres: Post-Punk Revival, Art Rock, Dream Pop

The Musiquarium’s This Mirror Weighs a Ton Review Score: 8 out of 10

After a string of middling records stretching from Interpol’s 2010 eponymous album to 2022’s The Other Side of Make-Believe, it seemed that the band’s best days were long behind them, but This Mirror Weighs a Ton proves that Interpol still has plenty left to say and do.

This Mirror Weighs a Ton is the band’s first album with bassist Brad Truax and keyboardist Brandon Curtis as official members (though the latter is not credited on the album), as well as their first album for Partisan Records, marking the second time that they’ve recorded without Matador since Our Love to Admire. Production duties this time are handled by Andrew Wyatt, who is more known for his work with pop artists like Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus, though his production here is the among the best Interpol has ever had, despite his mismatched portfolio.

The title track might just be my favourite track from Interpol since the 2000s, with a slower than usual tempo, female backing vocals and an almost trip-hop sound. See It Out Loud is a nice update on the band’s post-punk revival sound, with just enough new timbres to keep it interesting. Iron City details the increasingly technological state of American cities, containing one of Paul Bank’s best and most convincing melodies in a long while. Wounded Soldier has an almost dub-style bassline. Wings on Fire recalls some of the post-punk of early New Order. 

My analysis of Ever the Actor is that it’s about how most of us are probably aware of how fast society is changing before our very own eyes (likely for the worst), but we bury our heads in the sand, acting like everything is fine, even when it’s not. Wake Up has an alternative dance sound reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem and post-2000s Arcade Fire and The Strokes. Enemy and Sudden are slower tracks in the same vein as the title track.

This Mirror Weighs a Ton is easily the bands most exciting and dynamic album since 2007’s Our Love to Admire, adding in some subtle industrial and electronic elements to finally update their sound, but without changing too much either — Paul Banks also seems like he has something to talk about in his lyrics, with his keen observations bringing to mind the once young poet who sang on Turn On the Bright Lights. This is Interpol’s longest album yet, but fortunately the album doesn’t seem to drag by the end.

This Mirror Weighs a Ton is a surprisingly good return to form for Interpol after nearly two decades of artistically coasting, and though nothing will likely ever top their early work, this definitely comes the closest.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Interpol on Discogs.

Back to the master 2026 Album Reviews Guide or the Interpol Album Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard