7/10
Alive & Kicking
Six years on from their career apogee – 2014’s “So Long, See You Tomorrow”, it seemed that the Crouch End foursome had really meant what they said about going on an ‘indefinite hiatus’.
Luckily, Messrs. Steadman, MacColl, Saram and Nash appear to have come to their senses to deliver this rollicking follow-up to what was arguably the album of their career. While “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” doesn’t quite reach the giddy heights of “So Long…” there is plenty to prove the band still have enough tricks up their sleeve.
The album’s title track and lead single is the best place to start with its catchy chorus and trademark woozy organs. “I guess I found my peace again/and yes I found my second wind” sings Jack Steadman, indicating that “Everything Else…” follows a spell of self-doubt and soul searching.
“Let You Go” also seems to come from a place of deep reflection, as does “People People”, but elsewhere there’s plenty of joy. “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) and “I Can Hardly Speak” both lift the mood and inject the album with a solid dose of foot-stomping feel-good.
Skip through the lacklustre moments – there are only a few – and instead enjoy the return of this most original of indie bands. Even if everything else has gone wrong, it’s great to have Bombay Bicycle Club back.
Dan Ashcroft
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