Bombay Bicycle Club album review

 Bombay Bicycle Club, an indie rock band that emerged from London in 2006, released their fourth album, “So Long, See You Tomorrow” on Feb. 9. Each previous album released has crept up the UK charts, but this album finally hit number 1.

     With each album, the foursome reinvents their sound. They’ve breezed through the blues in their debut album “I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose,” infused folk into their sound in 2010’s Flaws and 2011’s “A Different Kind of Fix” and have finally delved into psychedelia for their most recent album.

     The first track “Overdone” offers a peek into the Indian influence present in the rest of the album. It was spurred by frontman Jack Steadman’s traveling and songwriting in India, away from the group. This track carries an incessant, grooving beat with a delicious violin loop while featuring the harmonious Lucy Rose in the chorus.

     The album’s first single “Carry Me,” released early in November 2013, comes on with a modern electronic sound. It blends reverb-heavy guitar and a strong horn section, leading the song into a slamming climax. It is undeniably impossible to remain still when jamming to its synth-filled, complex layers. The next track “Home By Now” slows down significantly, projecting an R&B hook with a clap beat.

     The single “Luna” kicks off with an anthemic chorus featuring Blackpool singer Rae Morris and starts side B of the album. It carries an infectious Middle Eastern melody and offbeat rhythm, but Indian influence is the most prevalent in the next track “Feel.”

     The album eventually rounds itself out with the title track “So Long, See You Tomorrow.” It finishes the album with a striking falsetto and deep synth.

     The album as a whole is euphoric, a clear showing that the group’s horizons have expanded deeply in their three year album drought. The group may still be working to solidify a signature sound, but with each album getting better and more diverse, it proves it is not a bad thing.