By Shari Cummings
Bombay Bicycle Club is officially living the indie rock band dream. If you’ve listened to “So Long, See You Tomorrow,” you know what I’m talking about. This is a band that is known in the music world for their ever-changing sound.
From 2009-2011, they went through three completely different genres: alternative rock to acoustic folk to pop rock. After a semi-hiatus, Bombay Bicycle Club is back with a bang, and their latest album seems to fit in well with the pop-rock guise they took on in “A Different Kind of Fix.” Is the band finally forming a style?
If so, they should definitely stick to it in the future because it’s working. “So Long, See You Tomorrow” is hitting the top of the charts like no tomorrow. The album peaked at No. 8 in Ireland, No. 2 in Scotland and No. 1 in the United Kingdom and US Top Heatseaker’s Albums. This is huge for Bombay Bicycle Club - as it’s their first number one.
The third song on the album, “Carry Me,” was released as a single in November 2013 and received a lot of positive attention. Not to mention, the music video is sick.
The Bombay Bicycle Club’s frontman, Jack Steadman, wrote this album while traveling for two years in Japan, Turkey and India. Steadman took some musical influence from the countries he visited, adding a worldly element that wasn’t as prevalent in the band’s past albums.
He flaunts his appreciation for traditional Indian and Japanese music in “Feel.” The song starts with a melody performed by a dilruba, an Indian stringed instrument, with accompaniment by an Indian percussion ensemble. It ends with flutes playing pentatonic scales over synths, guitar, bass and more Indian percussion.
“So Long, See You Tomorrow” is intriguing from start to finish. The band employs a variety of new musical elements, including sampling, psychedelic reverb effects, woodwind and brass instruments, drum machines, lo-fi guitar, world instruments, hip-hop-inspired rhythms, piano and synthesizers.
Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest album has something for pretty much everyone. If you’re looking for an album with seamless song transitions to listen to while you are studying, you’re channeling your inner music nerd or you really just need something new to dance to, have a listen.
Highlights: