Despite their young career, the members of the Bombay Bicycle Club have proven themselves worthy of recognition through a rapid-fire series of successful indie albums. Their latest release, A Different Kind of Fix, follows 2010’s Flaws and 2009’s I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose, both of which reached the top fifty on the UK Albums Chart. Thankfully, Fix lives up to the standards set by both the band’s previous successes.
The new release features a more polished finish than that of the primarily acoustic Flaws and youthful I Had the Blues. The album opens strongly with “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep,” which features gentle, harmonized vocals and a distinctive guitar melody. This method is characteristic of the rest of the album, and the song employs it so perfectly that it attracted enough attention to be included on the soundtrack of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. But critics of Twilight should not be quick to judge the group, however—the rest of the album is more reminiscent of a Radiohead concert than a tween fangirl-fueled midnight release.
Though some tracks fade into pleasantly melodic background music, the album is cohesive with enough distinctive tracks to keep it interesting. Second track “Bad Timing” stands out from the rest with a notably grittier sound, forceful guitar riffs, and vocals that border on aggressive. “Shuffle,” a successful pre-released single from the album, shows a different side of Bombay Bicycle Club entirely. Lively piano accompaniment and fast-paced vocal harmony make this a cheerful and energetic addition to A Different Kind of Fix.
Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest album showcases the growing maturity of a band that entered the indie music scene while still attending high school in Northern England. Though the band may have lost some of their earlier work’s energy and raw feeling, the group’s continuing experience has led them to a more sophisticated and mellow sound that suits their talents well. A Different Kind of Fix is evidence of a young band growing gracefully into their talents.
Voice’s Choice: “Beggars”
