Shahmurad Lodhi

For all of their popularity and success, Bombay Bicycle Club seems to be ridiculously difficult to follow. This is due mostly to the fact that each individual album that the band releases falls into a different genre then the last. With a medley of resounding electric-guitar lead pieces, their first album, I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose was audibly driven in the direction of garage rock. Listening to their next release, Flaws, you would think that it was made by a different band. With a complete absence of percussion and a dominance of acoustic guitar, the decidedly folk album was practically unrecognizable.

However, their seems to be an unchanging, enthralling quality that remains in their music despite the stylistic progression. It is the reason that BBC’s fans stay so dedicated despite the constant transformation of the band. That quality, which is so hard to actually identify, culminates in Ivy and Gold (the first release from their second studio album.) Jack Steadman’s voice powers the song forward with support from the simple guitar melodies and whistling from the band. The song has a certain lightness and hopefulness to it that creates an atmosphere of pure, sepia felicity with the listener, which is maintained to some extent throughout the album (although a few of the songs do become a bit more blue.) Bombay Bicycle Club has made, and continues to make simple music that evokes incredible emotions, so if you have the time, give them a listen.