When Bloc Party released Silent Alarm in 2005, it was met with widespread adulation and, for the most part, it was deserved. They became critics' darlings and a favorite of the indie community. More than a few called it the best record of the year. The hype was palpable; they became one of the most talked about indie bands in the world. Expectations for the follow-up, A Weekend in the City, became justifiably astronomical.

Sophomore slump, n. -- a phenomenon wherein a second effort (like, say, an album) is not as good as the first.

There are several possible explanations for such an occurrence. Maybe a band spends years putting together its first record but then has to rush out a second as part of a record deal. Perhaps the band has so much success with its first album that it thinks its genius is inherent, and there is less effort put forth on a second album. Sometimes it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But sophomore slumps definitely happen and, straight up, A Weekend in the City is not as good as Silent Alarm. It's hard to imagine that, if it had come out first, A Weekend in the City would have generated nearly the same buzz. On its own, it's a pretty good guitar record, but when you put out a debut as strong as Silent Alarm, you'd better be able to keep up the good work.

It's not that they're bad musicians, because they're not. The album has plenty of airtight guitar work and some absolutely sick drumming, but only intermittently. The spurts are too infrequent, and yelpy lead singer Kele Okereke lacks the vocal savvy (save for the novelty of his accent) to handle the dead spots on his own. Basically, the band doesn't rock out nearly as often as they could or should, even though it sounds like it really wants to.

But there are spurts. Little more than a minute into "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)," Bloc Party's trademark edgy, angular guitars are on parade. Songs like "Hunting for Witches" and "The Prayer" have their moments, too, but that's the problem: They're just moments. Or pieces, or parts, or stretches that last rarely more than a minute or two, and never for an entire song.

Party isn't really that good at being mellow, and trying to do it so often makes A Weekend in the City a top-heavy and frustratingly inconsistent record.

Bloc Party got a lot of credit for being "ambitious" with its first release (that is, as ambitious as one can be on a straight-ahead rock record). But for all their precocious aspiration, A Weekend in the City is mostly a safe record that, only at its best, matches the potency of Silent Alarm, but never manages to exceed it. Grade: B