Good luck trying to label Bloc Party.

To call the South London quartet “eclectic” would be a bit of an understatement. Are they an art-rock band? Maybe they are a Cure tribute group? Who knows?

“A Weekend in the City” is a recording full of chiming guitars, flanged vocals and slick, churning drums. The influence of 1980s new wave music on the album is undeniable, but the band doesn’t fall into the trap of bludgeoning the listener with synthesizer stabs and Depeche Mode vocals on every song (though the monk chanting on “The Prayer” would sound right at home on Depeche Mode’s “Construction Time Again” album).

The songs are up-tempo and the melodies are strong enough to hold the listener’s attention when the band takes a left turn and intentionally gets downright weird (“On,” “Waiting for the 7.18”). However, Bloc Party’s ability to sound like Thursday doing Coldplay material – think furious but also beautiful – cannot make up for the fact that the band’s hooks aren’t particularly interesting. It’s hard to tell where the choruses begin and end, and the introductions and verses are so overpowering that the choruses are often anti-climatic.

The one obvious exception is the gorgeous, stunning closer, “SRXT,” a soothing ballad that erupts into one great chorus before resounding back into a soft lullaby that marks the end of the disc.

“A Weekend in the City” is a solid effort from a band with a lot of promise.