Bombay Bicycle Club – I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose

Bombay Bicycle Club

Generally, I try to avoid considerations of age when listening to a record. I’ve always thought there was something a little perverse about the idea that age somehow helps or hinders the creative process when, technical proficiency aside, a ten-year-old should have just as much to express as a 90-year-old or, indeed, a 20-year-old. Perhaps this is due to my own position as a young musician; I certainly wouldn’t appreciate reading a review along the lines of; “Wow, this is great, it’s a wonder someone so young managed to create it!” It’s patronising, blinkered and disrespectful.

However, I’m fairly sure this is the sort of press that Bombay Bicycle Club are accustomed to. The Crouch End quartet have only recently finished their a-levels, releasing several EPs intermittently and becoming an ever-increasing force on the live circuit. Having finally put some time aside to record their debut full-length, I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, this is their chance to prove their worth as a truly interesting proposition apart from the landfill in an increasingly guitar-unfriendly musical climate.

It’s a task that they succeed at brilliantly. ‘Always Like This’ we’ve already heard; its stuttering, loop-pedal intro and murmured chorus seeping into the consciousness like a blissful, half-remembered dream. It’s a good indicator of the sound of I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, ghostly leads backed up by elegant, dextrous riffs and inventive rhythms; with Jack Steadman’s quavering croon sounding as soulful and heartbreaking as ever. There are new additions too, notably gentle electronic flourishes that are sprinkled over the album, subtle enough to complement without overpowering, and to deflect any cries of ‘dance/rock revival’ from frothing bloggers or arch-hype machine the NME.

I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose exhibits a band who are genuinely fresh, the quality and sheer scope of the songs here revealing rare talent. More than enough to blow any concerns of age from the lips of critics and into the past where they belong.

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