Bombay Bicycle Club/ Flaws

Bombay Bicycle Club
Flaws
(Island Records)

Are you a beardy folk-monster who loves the dulcet tones of the banjo? A disillusioned hippy who longs for a back-to-basics kind of album? How about a university student who wants to buy an acoustic album, appear sensitive and really impress that girl you fancy on the floor above? You are! Well, we’ve found just the record for you.
Before reading on, we should mention that ‘Flaws’ really ought to come with the following disclaimer: yes it’s an acoustic, folk-tinged album but it is NOT an attempt to create Mumford and Sons Version 2.0.
The familiar folky tone to this record is a touch misleading and will undoubtedly draw Mumford references from certain quarters; however, those who have followed BBC from the start will know that acoustic material has always been the bedrock of what they do.
Delve beyond the shallow comparisons and you’ll quickly realise that there’s a breathtakingly beautiful album staring you in the face, begging to be listened to. Title track ‘Flaws’ draws in a female harmony that’s both haunting and mesmerising, while the finger-picked guitars of ‘My God’ and stripped-down simplicity of ‘Dust On The Ground’ remain stunning, even though they border on the melancholic.
‘Flaws’ is much more than an education in minor chords and misery; it’s an album that proves BBC were always more than just another indie band destined to fall by the wayside. A year ago they shook loose a bad case of the blues and now have their sights firmly set on folk dominance. We’re already certain they’ll succeed.