Hailing from Crouch in London, these boys are not to be taken lightly. Since winning ‘Road to V’ and opening V Festival last year, the indie scenester circuit has been awash with whisperings that this is THE band to know about at the moment.
BBC first came to my attention about a year and a half ago, when I was scrolling various music profiles looking for something worth listening to. What I found has given me serious hope in the music of Britain today, as Bombay Bicycle Club are something special. At just 16 years old, you would be forgiven for questioning the lyrical talents of vocalist Jack Steadman, but there is a wealth of life experience and insight in his songs, and his voice is blessed with a tuneful vibrato, which I challenge the listener not to find beautiful. I try and find a musical equivalent with which to give you some idea of his vocals, and the closest I can come is a mix of Robert Smith of The Cure and David Byrne of Talking Heads with a healthy dose of Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, but these example fall short, so I urge you to go and listen for yourselves.
When you start your first EP with a song as strong as ‘The Hill’ you have to make sure you have a blinder on your hands. For a start, it gives you a clear impression of what is to follow. A jangly verse, combined with Steadman’s whispy vocals will doubtlessly have your feet tapping, and until now I never knew that a song as simple as this could be so catchy and interesting. The hammered chords on the pre-chorus leads into the perfect chorus for an indie song, in which the slightly offbeat guitar perfectly compliments the harsh, snapping vocals. For those who are just clicking onto their MySpace now, this is the perfect song to listen to first. It’s accessible, catchy, fun and shows how talented these kids really are without appearing shallow and pointless.
This leads seamlessly onto one of the 2 new songs to adorn The Boy I Used To Be. Sixteen sets a completely different tone than ‘The Hill’, and really allows Steadman to shine, as well as hinting at slightly darker indie like The Smiths and Sonic Youth. Despite this, it maintains an upbeat style and keeps you interested in the flow of the EP, all the while turning vague interest and foot tapping into intrigue. The perfect choice for a second song, not a blinder and not as obviously good as the rest, but a song which you can appreciate after listening to a few times.
Open House is one of the older songs, and a personal favourite. Again, Jack and Jamie manage to make a simple sounding intro boom and soar, and the warm guitar sounds perfectly compliment the hop, skip and jump of the drums. Jack pulls out his best Casablancas impression for this one, and manages not only to sound as good as The Strokes frontman, but adds a completely new element unique to BBC. This could becomes somewhat of a signature song, as it appears to have every aspect of an indie chart topper. Its simple enough not to alienate fans, but at the same time sounds completely unlike anything you will ever have heard before.
Finally, the EP concludes with ‘Cancel On Me’, a new song, but one which I’m sure can stand up among many modern indie classics. Although you may not spot it immediately, the bass is possibly the most important element of this song. It subtly bounces along underneath the guitar, hardly noticeable, but providing real backbone and depth. And I know I an gushing somewhat, but again, Steadman is really allowed to shine in this song. His voice has obviously matured since their cult fame, and his lyrics soar and peak, showing a level of devotion and depth that few singers have managed to achieve in an entire career. This is a rare breed of song which doesn’t seem to get old, you cab listen to it over and over and it still seems fresh and inspiring, and I suppose that’s because, love them or hate them, you won’t find a band in the world which sound like BBC. At just 17 years old, we have to ask; if they are this good now, what can we expect in 5 or 6 years time?