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Product Description
Review
It's okay if you're a little irritating if you're also annoyingly good. Bombay Bicycle Club, young and fey when they pedalled onto the scene four years ago and now looking even younger and acting even more feyly, may still not be embraced by those who feel the post-Belle and Sebastian school of anti-rock merits a good slap rather than a hug and an exclamation of "aw, bless", but it's getting increasingly difficult to deny their talent.
Yes, they've been given more encouragement, nurturing and backing than most bands receive in a lifetime, but they've now released three albums of bravely different styles. Their debut was dynamic indie-pop, while top-10 follow-up Flaws lurched across to soft folk territory with a perversity that only seemed opportunistic with hindsight. Now, thankfully electing not to go the full Mumford, they return with something that's beautifully hard to categorise. A bit Italian house, a bit Animal Collective (Ben Allen is among the producers, as is 21st century tyro Jim Abbiss), a bit Talking Heads and a lot flush with giddy enthusiasm and sunshine, it's very indie and very fey - but in a good way.
Lead single Shuffle provides pretty much a microcosm of the album's feel. Building a gentle, hooky pop song over a looping, dance-inducing piano sample, it's, like all the best late-summer sounds, 75% exuberant and 25% melancholy. What You Want and Bad Timing waft in on similar breezes, but with less definition, more ambivalence. Lights Out, Words Gone is as close as they come to the realms of the epic, fostering a stabby white-funk riff until it blows off science (they're warmer than Foals) and stumbles happily onto something not a million miles away from soul.
Guitars are understated throughout, and singer/co-producer Jack Steadman's penchant for making bedroom-electronica off duty has permeated these grooves without smothering them in 'blub-' or any other kind of 'step'. Yes, the videos still display awkward, cringe-worthy naivety that could inspire the next The Inbetweeners movie, but this music is a mature mix of jaunty and jaundiced.
--Chris Roberts
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CD Description
A Different Kind of Fix is the third album from London's Bombay Bicycle Club, following the critically acclaimed indie of debut I Had the Blues But I Shook them Loose and the Ivor Novello-nominated sparse folk of Flaws. Recorded in Hamburg, London and Atlanta, A Different Kind of Fix sees the guitars firmly plugged back in for album number three, but added to the mix are synths, sampled loops, layered vocals from all four band members and washes of reverb throughout. Production-wise, the album reunites BBC with Jim Abbiss--who produced their debut--and also introduces them to Ben Allen (noted for his work with Animal Collective) whilst lead singer, Jack Steadman co-produces throughout. Includes first single, "Shuffle", "How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep" and "Take The Right One".
Tracklisting:
1. How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep
2. Bad Timing
3. Your Eyes
4. Lights Out, Words Gone
5. Take The Right One
6. Shuffle
7. Beggars
8. Leave It
9. Fracture
10. What You Want
11. Favourite Day
12. Still
Tracklisting:
1. How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep
2. Bad Timing
3. Your Eyes
4. Lights Out, Words Gone
5. Take The Right One
6. Shuffle
7. Beggars
8. Leave It
9. Fracture
10. What You Want
11. Favourite Day
12. Still
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I found much to admire in BBC's 2010 album 'Flaws' and their new release
'A Different Kind Of Fix' delivers yet another laudable compilation. The
largely acoustic ambience of 'Flaws' is substantially swept away in this
collection of twelve new compositions. There is a harder, denser more
abrasive sound in evidence here which looks back to their 2009 debut
'I Had The blues and I Shook Them Loose'. A bold and powerful next step.
Front man Jack Steadman still stands firm on the prow, face to the wind,
keeping the boat steadily on course and coasting over the towering waves.
The music is built for large venues. There is an epic quality creeping into
their writing which suits them well but the strong sense of tunefulness
which has always defined their best work remains intact. Indubitably so.
Things kick off in fine style with opening track 'How Can You Swallow So
Much Sleep'; the gentle dreamy introduction quickly giving way to a fine
driving anthem. Suren de Saram's energetic drums and the intertwining guitars
support a quasi-folksy vocal from Mr Steadman. Around and around it goes.
'Bad Timing' and the splendid 'Your Eyes' keep the pace going until the
perfectly lovely song 'Lights Out, Words Gone' brings things down a tad and
proves to be one of the band's most affecting and memorable performances.
The vocal harmonies are beautifully crafted. A song to be very proud of.
So too with 'Fracture', an echoing lament which tugs at the heartstrings.
It is to final track 'Still', however, which we must turn to hear the album's
very finest moment. A stunning and very moving arrangement for voice and
piano which shows off Mr Steadman's distinctive falsetto at its best.
A haunting and close-to-sublime conclusion to a commendable five star project.
From strength to strength; ever onward and upward, BBC are close to becoming
one of England's national treasures. Don't let the experience pass you by.
Highly Recommended.
'A Different Kind Of Fix' delivers yet another laudable compilation. The
largely acoustic ambience of 'Flaws' is substantially swept away in this
collection of twelve new compositions. There is a harder, denser more
abrasive sound in evidence here which looks back to their 2009 debut
'I Had The blues and I Shook Them Loose'. A bold and powerful next step.
Front man Jack Steadman still stands firm on the prow, face to the wind,
keeping the boat steadily on course and coasting over the towering waves.
The music is built for large venues. There is an epic quality creeping into
their writing which suits them well but the strong sense of tunefulness
which has always defined their best work remains intact. Indubitably so.
Things kick off in fine style with opening track 'How Can You Swallow So
Much Sleep'; the gentle dreamy introduction quickly giving way to a fine
driving anthem. Suren de Saram's energetic drums and the intertwining guitars
support a quasi-folksy vocal from Mr Steadman. Around and around it goes.
'Bad Timing' and the splendid 'Your Eyes' keep the pace going until the
perfectly lovely song 'Lights Out, Words Gone' brings things down a tad and
proves to be one of the band's most affecting and memorable performances.
The vocal harmonies are beautifully crafted. A song to be very proud of.
So too with 'Fracture', an echoing lament which tugs at the heartstrings.
It is to final track 'Still', however, which we must turn to hear the album's
very finest moment. A stunning and very moving arrangement for voice and
piano which shows off Mr Steadman's distinctive falsetto at its best.
A haunting and close-to-sublime conclusion to a commendable five star project.
From strength to strength; ever onward and upward, BBC are close to becoming
one of England's national treasures. Don't let the experience pass you by.
Highly Recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This CD is amazing. An outstanding purchase for a lover of Indie music, these guys will blow you away. 'Leave It', 'Shuffle' and 'Your Eyes' are incredibly addictive!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is such a fantastic album. I personally think it tops Flaws and I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose. It is pretty different to both albums, but some songs have roots from both albums and you can definitely tell it is a BBC album.
Personal highlights are the fantastic 'Your Eyes' which is a song that definitely goes back to 'I had the Blues...' but with a slightly heavier riff than older songs.
'Beggars' is a song that will be compared to songs from 'Flaws' but it is very different, combining the acoustic and electric.
My favourite song though is 'Still'. Jack Steadman's voice is simply superb in this song and his lyrics are fantastic. It is such a beautiful way to end the album and leaves you wanting more.
Ed Nash's bass lines are unusually catchy, especially in the wonderful single 'Shuffle'.
Lucy Rose comes into this album (she sang in the title song of 'Flaws') and appears in around half of the songs and is such a fantastic addition with her beautiful voice, particularly in 'Lights Out, Words Gone'.
Suren De Saram is a brilliant drummer. A Different Kind of Fix doesn't have as catchy beats as in 'I had the Blues...' but he is still very inventive and shows how good of a drummer he is.
Jamie Maccoll's rhythm guitar gives all songs a nice flow and his backing vocals are perfect.
As previously mentioned, frontman Jack Steadman is a wonderful lyricist and a fantastic singer.
Overall, this is a brilliant album and you shouldn't hesitate in buying it.
Personal highlights are the fantastic 'Your Eyes' which is a song that definitely goes back to 'I had the Blues...' but with a slightly heavier riff than older songs.
'Beggars' is a song that will be compared to songs from 'Flaws' but it is very different, combining the acoustic and electric.
My favourite song though is 'Still'. Jack Steadman's voice is simply superb in this song and his lyrics are fantastic. It is such a beautiful way to end the album and leaves you wanting more.
Ed Nash's bass lines are unusually catchy, especially in the wonderful single 'Shuffle'.
Lucy Rose comes into this album (she sang in the title song of 'Flaws') and appears in around half of the songs and is such a fantastic addition with her beautiful voice, particularly in 'Lights Out, Words Gone'.
Suren De Saram is a brilliant drummer. A Different Kind of Fix doesn't have as catchy beats as in 'I had the Blues...' but he is still very inventive and shows how good of a drummer he is.
Jamie Maccoll's rhythm guitar gives all songs a nice flow and his backing vocals are perfect.
As previously mentioned, frontman Jack Steadman is a wonderful lyricist and a fantastic singer.
Overall, this is a brilliant album and you shouldn't hesitate in buying it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of the years best!
Bombay Bicycle Club have made a big leap with 'A Different Kind of Fix'. 'I Had The Blues...' was very good Indie Rock, but Fix shows how the band have grown, with more versitility... Read more
Published 18 hours ago by C22man
a different kind of music
love this album. this group have their own unique sound and this album is very much in the style of thei other music. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Arjay
A gem in a mediocre album
You don't want this album. It's same-y, unimaginative and outstays its welcome. If you want a large volume of Bombay Bicycle Club buy the excellent 'I Had The Blues But I Shook... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Bass
AMAZING!!
I LOVE this vinyl with all my heart! My friends are so jealous of it! I have framed it on my wall along with my signed foals-cassius vinyl but it completely shows it off! Read more
Published 3 months ago by joandra
Evolution of Bombay Bicycle Club
Every album is different with Bombay, every album is different but every album is great.
Going from electric to more indie folk and now just a beautiful mix of the... Read more
Going from electric to more indie folk and now just a beautiful mix of the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Automagicalness
Album of the year
I thought I had the blues but shook the off was going to be very hard to match, but if anything this album is far better! A real masterpiece.
Published 3 months ago by Kido
Difficult 3rd album .... Never!
An album of songs to listen to again and again. Good intelligent lyrics and great balanced, innovative, music. Read more
Published 4 months ago by JimKand
This group gets better and better
I absolutely adore this album and cannot stop playing it. The last one was excellent but I think this is even better. Excellent - you must buy it.
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. J. L. Ellis
Music spoiled by poor production
I can't criticise the music but this would have been so much better if the recording wasn't so compressed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Floyd
and the award for Best Album 2011 goes to...
The title of this review might sound like a big and bold statement especially given the plethora of great music that has been released in the past 12 months. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rhys
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