Review: Everything Else Has Gone Wrong - Bombay Bicycle Club
By Eleni Haberis
Bombay Bicycle Club is a guitar-fronted indie band from London. I didn’t want to reduce them to such a mundane sentence, but their new album, Everything Else Has Gone Wrong, regretfully does not provide me with anything new or interesting to say. The album isn’t dislikable. However, while their music used to make you feel like you were floating through space, it now is just the backdrop to your daydreams. It's enjoyable to listen to -and it certainly will have you swaying your head - but it doesn’t leave the listener with a lasting impression.
To put it simply, this album is sweet, but leaves something to be desired. The band’s older work was an indie-electronic mix with a bluesy touch, but Everything Else Has Gone Wrong feels washed out. Jack Steadman’s voice used to exhibit an alluring quality, but here, his voice is pushing on whiny, so hazy out it could’ve been from any indie boy’s mouth. Songs like “People People” make it uncertain if he wants to be Ben Gibbard or Conor Oberst.
The band seems to be struggling with what to say on this album. Their lyrics have always been somewhat repetitive, but before their hiatus, they were melodic chants, as opposed to now, where it feels like they’re stuttering. The only time they are successful in their repetitions is on “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You).” The song's lyrics consist mostly of - you guessed it - “Eat, Sleep, Wake, Nothing but you.” There are some as insightful verses as well, but the title refrain remains the star. The song emerges out from the background, letting you drift and dream along with them - almost in a trance. It’s definitely one of the highlights on the album.
The rest of the songs are not as memorable or impactful, but they are easy to listen to. The band stated on their website:
“We’ve touched previously on how the album is about the comfort that music can provide in times of need. Hopefully, this record can give you that escape should you ever need it. -Bombay”
You can feel through this album that they want this to be the effect. But that’s the problem: you can feel them trying too hard to connect. This is especially evident in the song “Good Day,” where Steadman sings a lame shout-out to Mother Earth’s ice caps melting, wanting to stop the time from running out. It just feels a bit forced.
In trying too hard to make grand statements about life, they've disconnected their music’s impact from its feeling. What used to be great about their music was how it granted one the ability to turn off their brain and enjoy the vibe with them. Now, you’ll be spending too much time trying to decipher something that Bombay doesn’t even seem to understand.
After a four-year hiatus, and after announcing how excited they were to be recording together again, it seemed as though Everything Else Has Gone Wrong would be a triumphant return. Unfortunately, it’s a middle-of-the-road album that doesn’t amount to much beyond some enjoyable tunes. Hopefully they can relax and deliver the goods a little more on the next one.
BOPS: "Eat Sleep Wake (Nothing But You)," "Do You Feel Loved?"
DUDS: "Good Day," "People People"
