Having put out three albums in three years from 2009 to 2011, the summer of 2012 was the first year which Bombay Bicycle Club failed to release any new music. Then summer 2013 came, and there was still nothing, and Bombay Bicycle Club seemed to stay silent on any future plans. In this time, lead vocalist Jack Steadman has worked on his own electronic music and a series of remixes; a far cry from the mellow, acoustic sound of Flaws, so expectations of further music were fuzzy.
Premiering on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio One show, new single ‘Carry Me’ is a slight deviation from the band’s previous singles, and certainly seems to have been influenced by Steadman’s solo work. Beginning with looping synths and crashing percussion, a variety of different artificial sounds and genuine instruments thread in and out throughout the four and a half minute track, as if the band are trying to emulate Everything Everything. Whilst Steadman’s vocals are welcomely recognisable, they are lost against the busy, and altogether disjointed background.
If you’re a Bombay Bicycle Club fan, expect to be left cold, and if you’re not a fan, you’ll just feel a bit dry. There’s a little too much going on, whilst at the same time, not quite enough. Bombay Bicycle Club should be commended for trying to introduce innovative instrumentation to their music, but the constant deviation of sounds throughout fails to be as striking or stimulating as it should be.
4/10
‘Carry Me’ will be available to download from midnight. Bombay Bicycle Club’s as yet untitled fourth album is set to be released on February 3rd 2014.
