Bombay Bicycle Club return with a reassuring pat on the back.
Growing up in Southern England, where the Indie scene was experiencing a popular revival between 2009-2014, I knew of Bombay Bicycle Club. The unique raspy vocals of Jack Steadman and memorable guitar riffs made them shine as the forerunners of the last years of Indie music dominance. In 2014, they released the suitably named, ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’, what would be their last album for six years. 2020 brings them back with a nostalgic sound reminiscent of those Indie days.
Why 2020?
MacColl explained the hiatus as necessary for the band’s development and content, saying to NME: ‘All we knew from the age of 16 was Bombay Bicycle Club. We’ve now got a bit more to think and write about.’ Understandably so once you realise all their previous albums released within two years of each other. I will go track by track to best see this development in writing and style that they hope will show.
Track 1: Get Up
A busy and layered introduction to the album, showcasing the variety of instruments and production to expect in the upcoming tracks. The slow progression from softer to harder hits politely prepares the listener for the rest of the album. It reaches the chaotic crescendo to quickly revert to a jumble of notes from a piano until fading. Overall, it’s useful as a starting track, and I can see why the band placed it where they did.
Track 2: Is It Real
Unlike the opening, this song throws you straight into its contagious high energy and Steadman’s vocals. Steady guitar and bass riffs make up this track and fast drums which do not cease until the song is over. It makes you feel like you should be running to best explore the energy. The lyrics encourage reflection and poses as an open question though there was a clear decision to not include the ‘?’ in the title—one of my favourites from this album.
Track 3: Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Sounds best through headphones to appreciate the layering in this song. Steadman harmonises his voice always throughout the song until the bridge where the lyrics suddenly shine through and become more personal, hopeful tone. Steadman explained in an interview with Apple Music that this song holds a lot of excitement and is telling through the repetition of ‘yes, I’ve found my second wind’ by the end.
Track 4: I Can Hardly Speak
Percussion takes the lead with this song, and it feels like an ode to old Bombay. I can see it as a single released in the summer; it has a classic festival potential. A bit MGMT-like with the inclusion of the keyboard.
Track 5: Good Day
The lyrics are the outstanding feature on this track. It is very much a millennial cry for help and suited for the listeners who are likely of a similar age to the band. There are obvious references to the worry of the Climate Crisis alongside dissatisfaction in career and lifestyle choices. The group are sharing their anxiety from being a young adult navigating society and mental health with their listeners, knowing they will be experiencing the same notions of self-consciousness.
Track 6: Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)
The leading single before the album was fully released. Much like how I feel ‘I Can Hardly Speak’ is like, this song is very much a crowd pleaser and has a festival feel which is familiar to old tunes like ‘Shuffle.’ It feels too much like a single rather than being part of the album, but it’s undoubtedly a Bombay song.
Track 7: I Worry Bout You
Again, there’s quite a lot of music layering in this song and multiple instruments used but I find it to be quite messy and forgetful.
Track 8: People People (feat Liz Lawrence)
The only song with a noted feature on it and both voices complement and blend very well. Jack Steadman said of the featurette that ‘I enjoy singing with other people. It tends to be female singers. I always write high parts for my voice, […] it’s nice to get in other people who can hit those notes.’ The guitar opening is attractive, and the overall melody makes me want to replay the song.
Track 9: Do You Feel Loved?
The breathy extension of ‘loved’ in the chorus gives the song a relaxed and breezy feel. I can imagine listening to this with the windows down in a car. It’s a reassuring song; the lyrics ‘all the cracks around your head will fill with light’ are on a loop and feels like the band is talking directly at their audience.
Track 10: Let You Go
The modern synth beat and use of distortion and loop for backing vocals. I like the build-up of energy to then fall back to a slower pace with just Steadman’s voice throughout the verses. Heavy 80’s influence which suitably fit well with the current revival we’re experiencing.
Track 11: Racing Stripes
The last track is always my favourite. I believe that the closing song of an album solidifies the overall musical journey. The track features a 200-year-old harmonium to play out a reassuring rhythm, meant to comfort the listener. ‘This light will keep me going’ is a lovely statement to close this album and to approach the future.
Final Thoughts
I appreciate the experimentation on this album, but cohesively, the songs do not flow as high as I would usually expect from a full album. Quite a few of the songs are forgettable, but the standouts for me are ‘Is It Real’, ‘Good Day’, and ‘People People’ as they have stuck with me the most from this album. Bombay went into this album as a steady welcome back for themselves and their fans which is useful in that capacity. Bombay deserves applause for not losing their distinct sound in this time where music has shifted so much in the past decade.
I enjoy it and give it a solid 4/5. It is an album that is best suited for reminding listeners of what makes Bombay unique and delivers some powerful positive messages for the generation of young adults listening, however, I don’t believe it has any longevity.
saharamelts 