Flaws
On their sophomore album, Bombay Bicycle Club goes acoustic. Where their 2009 debut introduced four young London-based musicians playing energetic post-punk trimmed with effects reminiscent of early-‘90s indie rock, 2010’s *Flaws* does away with electric guitars to reveal a band going through a pretty heavy folk phase. But from the catchy opener “Rinse Me Down,” it all makes perfect sense because Jack Steadman’s voice has a naturally quavering tremolo that would rest well between the vocals of Devendra Banhart and Conor Oberst. They redo “Dust On the Ground” from their first album, this time around giving the tune a melancholic beauty, while the melodic “Ivy & Gold” is a more buoyant ditty that bounces on a brushed snare drum while Steadman sings the same melody as the guitar line. English chanteuse Lucy Rose helps flesh out the title-track with feathery harmonies, adding a gauzy dimension to the album’s jewel. And just so there’s no mistaking that this is indeed a folk album, the band bestows reverent covers of John Martyn’s “Fairytale Lullaby” and Joanna Newsom’s “Swansea.”
The UK band goes from teenage post-punk acolytes to Nick Drake- and John Martyn-loving folkies in one move.
Negotiating Difficult (almost) Second Album Syndrome with consummate ease, ‘Flaws’ sees Jack Steadman and gang boldly unplug their guitars and explore their deeper side.
Discover Flaws by Bombay Bicycle Club released in 2010. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
Bombay Bicycle Club have ditched the electric guitars, and – says <strong>Dave Simpson</strong> – much of what made their last album memorable
I wonder if anyone’s ever bothered to write a book about the theories of what to do with the difficult second album. The way I see it, a band has many options. They could opt for more of the same but make everything bigger and bolder try and recreate their first album note for note,