Bloc Party Unveils New Single On BBC Radio

Bloc Party premiered its new single, "Mercury," this afternoon (July 7) on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio One show. The track is a big departure from the band's skittish Britpop, incorporating cacophonous horns and percussion alongside disorienting sound effects.

According to a spokesperson, the song may or may not appear on Bloc Party's third album, which is expected before the end of the year via Atlantic. "Mercury" will be released as a single Aug. 11 in the U.K., with a U.S. release date to follow.

Frontman Kele Okereke told Lowe, "We are making the record I always wanted us to make, so we just can't wait for it to be done."

The new album is the follow-up to 2007's "A Weekend in the City," which has sold 146,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Source: Billboard.com