A Different Kind of Fix was released by the UK-based indie band Bombay Bicycle Club in late August. Somehow, I never heard about the album’s release, regardless of my love for the band. I finally purchased the album last week and it is perfect.
Overall, the album is vocally incredible, is beautifully mixed and has outstanding flow. The layering of harmonies and other voices over the main melodies of singer Jack Steadman blew me away.
The rhythmic ideas, guitar and bass lines and the variety of ideas and sounds throughout the entire album make a huge impact.
Though I love every song on the album, there are some definite standouts.
The record begins with How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep, and the transition from the trance-like indie start of Steadman’s trembling voice combined with the repetition of a bright guitar line to the adding of the dance drum beat, then striking lead guitar line and bass line truly sets up the rest of the album.
It’s all about a natural eb and flow, and each song is placed on a pedestal by the songs before and after it.
The droning punk aspects of Bad Timing, the cheeriness of Your Eyes and the clear 80’s influence on the whole album (especially Take the Right One and Lights, Words Gone) displays the large variety that encompasses the high energy of the album.
Bombay Bicycle Club wrote some fantastic parts for all of the instruments used on the album. My favorites include the repetitive, bright piano line on Shuffle, the echo-like beauty of the guitar line for Fracture and my absolute favorite, which is the intricate funk bass line of Beg (the dance song/best way possible to end the record).
British artist Lucy Rose provided the female harmonies for the album. Her airy voice layered gorgeously with Steadman’s. Her voice most noticeably stood out on Leave It, and truly, she added the spice the song would have needed had she not sang on the track.
There is one song on the album that presented itself as “the best of the best”. The fourth track, Lights Out, Words Gone is simply put, stunning. Somehow it is both mellow and energetic at the same time, creating a dream-like sound. It seems as though each instrument and voice are working in perfect harmony. Needless to say, the song leaves me breathless every time I hear it. I can’t bring myself to skip it when it shows up in a shuffle, and it is the first song in a long time that I am able to listen to over and over again.
A rarity for me, Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest record gets a five out of five. In my opinion it is not only flawless, but the best album that has come out this year. I certainly hope thatA Different Kind of Fix gets the recognition it deserves.
