I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose

Four London nuggets Bombay Bicycle Club

It seems that a band with a standard line-up – three guitars and drums – can hardly surprise with anything in the present days when almost anybody takes instruments and practically all who want it can record an album on an independent label. Nevertheless, to the great pleasure of everyone who is sick and tired of the monotonous music of young indie-bands daily appearing on radio and in the Internet four London nuggets are more than a year surprising the audience with their wonderful fresh sounding. Starting playing at the age of 15 Jack Steadman, Jamie MacColl, Ed Nash and Suren de Saram have formed a band that changed its name several times before finally stopping at the current one, Bombay Bicycle Club. The guys combined music and studying for some time and on finishing school went directly to recording new compositions. Thus at the moment of the debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose release the members of Bombay Bicycle Club are not even 20 years old yet and not only the entire United Kingdom speaks and writes about them but also the listeners across the Atlantic who have appreciated the band and whose number will definitely grow several times with the release of the record.

Soulful and harmonious tracks on I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose

Listening to the album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, called like the line from A Tribe Called Quest’s song After Hours one does not feel like classifying this music stylistically and make any analysis in general, so soulfully and harmoniously each track is made. Sonorous, melodious guitars, wonderfully changeable vocals, inimitable solos and splendid drums are the essential components on each song and all of them contain a zest. The record opens with a short instrumental composition Emergency Contraception Blues playing the role of introduction here, and the first mid-tempo track Lamplight pleases with its memorable tune and the strongest emotions. A more up-tempo composition Evening/Morning will be appropriate at any party due to the vocalist Jack Steadman’s contagious singing and the rest of the band’s backing vocals with a joyful optimistic accompaniment whereas the song Dust On The Ground surprises with Jack’s completely different vocals and some more serious lyrics. The first single of the album Always Like This is a moderate composition of a very high quality in which there is enough of everything: powerful drums, impressive guitar riffs and emotional singing. One of the album highlights is the track Magnet combining the harmonious singing with a vivid sounding of all the instruments and colorful lyrics, while the song Cancel On Me is filled with a slight feeling of despair and of course is devoted to a failed relationship. Autumn should probably be considered as the most complicated and unusual composition pleasing with some jazz and psychedelic elements, unexpected metaphors and heart-felt singing. Another danceable number What If conquers with the simplest guitar rhythm and the most contagious chorus and the album closer is the only relatively calm composition on the album The Giantess pleasing with the interesting light and hence catchy melody.

The album has almost no shortcomings

No doubt the most promising of all the young British bands to date Bombay Bicycle Club conquers first of all with the wonderfully graceful approach to work expressed in the greater part of its songs’ genius simplicity. On the whole the record I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose is a really varied and yet integral work of the original, smart musicians open for everything new and obviously disposed to conquer the whole world. Yet as paradoxical as it may seem that frippery often characterizing the works of beginning bands is completely absent in the music of Bombay Bicycle Club. The band has united the rock of the 1980s with the acuteness one can only find in the works of such unique groups as Antony And The Johnsons even though the definite difference in the lyrics naturally takes place here. The point is that the lyrics on I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose are practically utterly devoted to such topics as the life of the adolescent, sweet reminiscences of childhood, young passionate love and generation gap. The album has almost no shortcomings for Bombay Bicycle Club has fully realized its potentials and will not to stop here for sure.