Bloc Party @ The Trocadero.

Maybe I just remember the last time Bloc Party played Philly – in 2009 at the Electric Factory. Maybe I’m just not a huge fan of their new album, Four, which dropped a few weeks ago. But something seemed off during their show at the Trocadero on Saturday. They just didn’t seem that into the performance.

Their new material is kind of all over the place, ranging from the sharp-hooked, indie dance-pop that made them famous to a new, more aggressive, hard rock sound. As they weaved through their catalogue during the show, there wasn’t a solid flow. There were moments of bliss, for sure, like when they played “Hunting for Witches” or “The Healing.” But the steady, building energy of their 2009 show wasn’t replicated. And singer Kele Okereke, who is reportedly shy, danced a bit and chatted with the audience but he almost seemed to be going through the motions. Their passion seemed missing.

When they performed “This Modern Love,” for instance, they seemed almost annoyed, cruising through a beautiful song as though it was “Auld Lang Syne.” They ended the night with “Helicopter” played at double speed, as though they couldn’t put that behind them fast enough.

It was still a thrill to see them perform. They were tight throughout, and Kele has such a wonderful, interesting voice. But they appear to be a band in transition, reluctant to be pigeonholed by their 2005 masterpiece, Silent Alarm and the successes that followed.