In a letter to their fans Bloc Party have revealed details of their forthcoming second record. “It rained a lot but it was a truly enjoyable experience” bassist Gordon Moakes apparently wrote about the time the band spent in the country working on new material. “I shan’t reveal too much just yet” Moakes demurs, “but expect a song where Matt and I play drums simultaneously; some truly R&B-styled beats; Russell’s work with a Big Muff pedal; the sound of a guitar amp being thrown off a first-storey balcony; at least one unplayable guitar solo; both eggshell-thin fragility and trouser-flapping hugeness; piano, glockenspiel, strings; you name it.” We’re hearing Arcade Fire meets Black Flag, but, you know, British.