Juxtapoz Sound and Vision is a weekly segment on our platform dedicated to exploring one piece of substantial album artwork every Sunday. Album artwork is one of the primary ways that musicians and visual artists are able to collaborate, and many iconic album covers are simultaneously iconic pieces of pop art. It’s also an excuse for us to share some of our favorite albums and the visual component behind what makes an album groundbreaking and fun.
Juxtapoz Sound and Vision is a weekly segment on our platform dedicated to exploring one piece of substantial album artwork every Sunday. Album artwork is one of the primary ways that musicians and visual artists are able to collaborate, and many iconic album covers are simultaneously iconic pieces of pop art. It’s also an excuse for us to share some of our favorite albums and the visual component behind what makes an album groundbreaking and fun.
December 30th, 2018: Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights
Album Photography by Sean McCabe
For our last Sound and Vision of the year, we’re turning the spotlight on a hugely impactful album from the early 2000s, Interpol’s studio debut Turn On The Bright Lights.
Despite drumming up a bit of attention in the early 2000s, the NYC-based band was largely unknown when they released Turn On The Bright Lights in 2002. Their stark, nearly gothic appearance, dressed in suits with chic haircuts, was a huge departure from the snazzy rock-and-rollers with whom they often share mentions.
The music was unique for its time in the same way. Instead of the classic, high-energy sound of many others in New York’s “post-punk revival” era, their sound was dark, moody, and melancholic. When the band’s manager approached Sean McCabe to create something for the album’s cover, the designer and photographer offered a photo from his existing collection. The red and black image captured the dark and solitary themes of the album, as well as Interpol’s signature contribution to a confusing period of the post-9/11 American cultural landscape.
McCabe would go on to design the cover of their next album Antics and work with many other bands throughout the 2000s.
