In a time that feels like “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong,” British pop band Bombay Bicycle Club’s new album provided fans with a glimmer of hope. Released on Jan. 17, over ten years after their debut album “I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose,” the band revisited the sound that made them famous. With songs like “Always Like This,” “Shuffle” and “Ivy & Gold,” Bombay Bicycle Club helped define 2000’s indie rock.
Their last studio album, “So Long, See You Tomorrow,” was released in 2014. Despite their six-year hiatus, frontman Jack Steadman experimented with a side-project known as Mr. Jukes, releasing the album, “God First,” in 2017. Steadman revealed that he and the rest of the band had sold all of their instruments, not expecting to return for another album.
“Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)” was released on Aug. 27 of last year, followed by the announcement of their new album. The single was a bit heavier than what fans were used to from the jangle-pop pioneers, but induced excitement for a new era. The repetitive chorus is an infectious confession of how the muse has influenced every aspect of their life, until it was “nothing but you.”
The album’s titletrack is another standout, representing the overall theme of renewal and second chances. The bridge, “I guess I found my peace again, and yes I found my second wind,” seems to speak directly of Steadman and their return as a band. Steadman confirmed that the titletrack was the last song written for the album and makes for a perfect bow to wrap up their fifth studio album.
“Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming services. You can see Bombay Bicycle Club on tour in Sacramento at the Ace of Spades on May 2 and San Francisco at The Fillmore on May 4.