Hymns (Bloc Party album)

Hymns
Studio album by Bloc Party
Released	29 January 2016
Recorded	March – August 2015
Studio	Lynchmob Studios (London, England)
Genre	Alternative dance indie rock
Length	47:37 (standard edition) 65:01 (deluxe edition) 51:01 (vinyl edition)
Label	BMG Infectious (UK) Vagrant (US) Dew Process (AUS)
Producer	Tim Bran Roy Kerr
Bloc Party chronology
Four (2012) Hymns (2016) Alpha Games (2022)
Singles from Hymns
"The Love Within" Released: 9 October 2015 "The Good News" Released: 2 December 2015 "Virtue" Released: 13 January 2016

Hymns is the fifth studio album by English indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released worldwide in January 2016 on BMG. The album was recorded between March and August 2015 at Lynchmob Studios in London, following a hiatus during which Matt Tong and Gordon Moakes departed the band.^[1] It is the first album to feature new band member Justin Harris on bass and keyboards. The songs "The Love Within", "The Good News", and "Virtue" were released as singles.

Musically, Hymns was inspired by many sources including rhythm and blues and gospel. It focuses more on electronic music compared to the album's predecessor, Four (2012), which featured a return to Bloc Party's rock style after experimentation with electronic music on their third studio album, Intimacy (2008). Upon release, the album received generally mixed reviews from critics; reviewers focused on the "subdued" nature of the album, with others noting the more spiritual themes in its lyrics.