Album Review: Bombay Bicycle Club I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose

If the April-released lead single 'Always Like This' saw Bombay Bicycle Club riding perilously close to that kind of summery uptempo indie too oftheard on Inbetweeners episodes, then 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose' is the sound of a band slamming on their breaks, holding tight to their handlebars, and then back pedalling away furiously.
An album of tremendous variation- from the Strokes-esque fuzzily vocaled 'Magnet' to the almost Kinksian 'Autumn', Jack Steadman's Frankensteinish part-Morrissey part-Julian Casablancas voicebox howls and growls in equal measure throughout. The songwriting is articulate and mature, though not to such an extent that it betrays the bands tender age-'What If' being the best example of the kind of angsty song only teenagers can get away with writing or singing so sincerely. The beautifully folky 'The Giantess' brings an excellent debut to a close- a debut showcasing a versalitle and immensely talented young band. 8/10