Bombay Bicycle Club release their astonishing debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose (recorded by long-term producer Jim Abbiss), a beautifully literate and ambitious debut. From the dizzying My Bloody Valentine/M83 swoops and morning-after ruefulness of the LP’s opening song to the open-tuned, Appalachian folk feel of the record’s closing track, the album thrums with subtle invention and quiet emotional intensity. Fans of Bloc Party, Broken Social Scene and Bon Iver--or any mildly sensitive soul with a fondness for ricocheting guitar chords --will be utterly beguiled. Indie rock rarely gets to enjoy its innocence these days, but Bombay Bicycle Club know that’s exactly what makes it precious. Review Crouch End indie sensations Bombay Bicycle Club have been wandering the indie hinterlands for a couple of years now since first forming in 2006. It was a a year wherein they won The Road To V as mere nippers (well, average age 16), and have since been picking up a host of admirers such as Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe along the way. Neither from India, renowned cyclists or much of a club, the Bombays have finally got round to a full length audio experience. The foursome, lead chiefly by Jack Steadman and Jamie MacColl (his dad Neil is the late Kirsty's brother and son of folk legend Ewan) have been compared as a cross between McFly and The Strokes which, all things considered, is no bad thing. If someone was to claim it was the work of some obscure middle-aged Texans, it would be deemed possibly the greatest thing ever. Produced by Jim Abbiss, who has twiddled the knobs on the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Adele and Kasabian's debuts, the marvellously titled Emergency Contraception Blues opens proceedings with a cinematic blend of My Bloody Valentineness and paves the way for album highlight, Lamplight. This, along with recent single Always Like This and the possible festival-stealing Cancel On Me, is the tune that will grab any passing punters. Like a less quivery Maccabees, there's a wisdom in their delivery that's some years ahead of their time, and suggests that by the time they get to the third album, they should be one of the finest groups in the land. I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose is the sound of a band with a immense future ahead. The Bombays display a passion and songwriting skill way ahead of their fellow contemporaries. Join their club. --Ian Wade This link will take you in a new window