If I was Mr. (or Mrs.) Island Records, I’d have a big, fat, cheeky grin on my face this week. Notwithstanding the fact that Island Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary of being the label that nearly went bankrupt but didn’t, unveiled international superstars in Bob Marley & The Wailers and U2, and brought you respectable chart toppings acts such as The Feeling, Keane, The Fratellis and Amy Winehouse. Yes, Amy Winehouse IS respectable. What I’m referring to, the catalyst behind that cheeky grin is that this week they released the promised debut albums from Bombay Bicycle Club and Florence and the Machine. Both have been touted as hotly anticipated newcomers, and in respect of Miss Welch seem to have appeared seemingly out of nowhere, although it may be worth noting Florence’s art historian heritage, however for the time being I am going to focus on the latter mentioned.
Bombay Bicycle Club are a London four piece rock band who have been working hard and turning heads since they were FIFTEEN years old and already have V Festival, two Reading & Leeds festivals appearances, Great Escape festival, T in the Park, and the 3rd annual Artrocker festival slots to their names. They signed a deal with Island in late 2008 with their debut single ‘Always Like This’ enjoying solid rotation in the mainstream T.V and Radio programmes.
I personally, hate it when journalists, whilst reviewing a particular band or musician compare them to other groups or contemporaries, especially when the comparisons are so inapt, so I try to avoid this whenever possible. It’s my personal feeling that if the musical powers-that-be spent less time looking for the ‘next Led Zeppelin’ and instead spent more time talking about ‘The first…’ without taking it to the other end of the extreme and trawling out conveyor belt ‘Next big things’ then perhaps the industry would be a better… uh place? But I must confess when I first heard this record (thanks to Spotify. I’ve since picked it up on CD for my car stereo, obviously.) I thought, “He sounds like Ian Curtis! And Interpol??!”
The recent baritone revolution that started, in part with Glasvegas, and has continued with heavyweight foursome White Lies (also from London) was produced much earlier by the listless and legendary status of Ian Curtis of Joy Division and continued by Paul Banks of American alternative rock band Interpol. I’m sure there are plenty of other bands I have overlooked but for me these 4 are the standouts.
‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ is a solid, promising and refreshing recording with potential the likes of which I haven’t heard since I picked up The Paddingtons – First Comes First, but unlike the recent offerings by Glasvegas and White Lies, it is uplifting. Baritone doesn’t necessarily have to be so gloomy and macabre, and in part I think that is what makes Bombay Bicycle Club stand out so poignantly for me, not to debunk anything by the previous mentioned, the Glasvegas debut is one of my favourite most recent albums, but all the way through this record I find myself singing along with a stupid grin on my face because the music is that enjoyable. It’s definitely worth making a mention that beside current single ‘Dust On The Ground’ other stand out tracks include re-recordings of 2006 demo tracks ‘The Hill’ and ‘Cancel On Me’ as well as ‘Magnet’ which should find itself in-keeping with many Indie Playlist mixtape selections. It’s difficult to tie down the sound without using ridiculous and worn out musical clichés. If you’re into melodic alternative rock with Indie, Britpop riffs and you can appreciate a clever, intellectual sound rarely seen in the British Indie rock scene nowadays, you should feel right at home, I especially recommend ‘Evening / Morning’ which I think is to be their next 7 Inch vinyl single, and my personal favourite aside from ‘The Hill’. The fidgety, shy and laissez-faire sound that accompanies the strong riff rock guitar work and sassy, sneering, song writing makes for a fantastic debut effort. It’s far too early to tell but I can honestly see this as the record that will cement the foundations of a band destined to be as large and popular as their own restrictions will allow them.
If Island records could see the potential in U2, Pulp, Tom Waits and more recently The Feeling, then they have made a sound investment in acquiring the bright and shining future of Bombay Bicycle Club.
