Bombay Bicycle Club: I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose

Ever since their debut EP 'The Boy I Used To Be' back in 2007, we were sure to keep a watchful eye over Bombay Bicycle Club. 

It seemed that greatness was just one step away for the young collective and though it's been two long years in the making, their official debut long-player is finally here.

 Hopes, expectations and personal preference aside, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose is a wildly entertaining record that moves the band away from their previous sound but ultimately accelerates them onward and into more alternative territory.

The music is still catchy and the vocals still warble to-and-fro like a fragile child but darker things are afoot and can be seen through the metaphorical cracks within the material. Guitars are fuzzier, the percussion is more cathartic and at times, the aforementioned vocals hold a low rumble - reeling in a more brooding atmosphere and tainting the music with a fleck of menace. Throughout newest single Dust On The Ground, frontman Jack Steadman wanders into a vocal realm not too far from Tom Smith of Editors and though it initially sounds questionable over the slightly generic epic-indie riff behind, it genuinely suits the man. The song isn't the strongest overall but it's mood and change of style manages to impress instead of annoy.

The reoccurring problem with the record and the band in general is that it was too easy to digest and enjoy their short EP's (such as the one mentioned in the opening paragraph) and so when a full-length, near fifty minute incarnation of their sound arrives; it almost becomes too much. As stated previously, the entire CD is most definitely an engaging and enjoyable listen but it's disconcerting and difficult to get used to and fully absorb on the first few runs.

Aside from that negative, the record does manage to live up to expectations the entire way through and it's also great to hear fresh re-runs of the bands older material. The Hill makes an appearance with edgier production and a subtle echo effect on the vocals, sending nostalgic shivers down the spine and sounding fresher than ever. Sure its relatively inoffensive indie but it's the innocently alternative roots that appeal most.

The first three tracks are some of the best on the record and show the band coming together to create an approximate eight minutes of alt-indie perfection. The rough intro-instrumental Emergency Contraception Blues kicks up an endearing, distorted fuss and flows wonderfully into Lamplight. The catchy guitar and matching tom-and-snare drum rhythm work simple wonders together but again, its that fantastically indescribable voice that fully fleshes the entire song out.  It's a great song overall but its dying minutes stand as one of the groups finest moments to date.

Track three Evening/Morning utilises and showcases their ease at melody-making flawlessly, swapping heavy for light with just a push of a guitar-pedal and successively moulding a wonderfully catchy beast of a song. Not only does it show off how attuned the band are to each other but it highlights their welcomed progression in music with hardly a breeze of effort.

Whilst it's easy to poke fun at relatively accessible indie music and it's over-used genre elements, Bombay Bicycle Club have successively swerved the many obstacles that others in their field have all too easily careened face first toward. Instead of using the many generics commonly used in indie, BBC have taken the more difficult route, swapping the need to impress the masses with the need to make music they themselves can sincerely be proud of.

Sometimes, thats all the listener needs.