Release Date - July 12, 2010 - Which means if you haven't checked this out, you're late, so get on that.
Have you ever listened to a cover of a song from one of your favorite artists and not hated it? I hadn't, until I heard Bombay Bicycle Club's take on Joanna Newsom's "Swansea," and miraculously refrained from tearing it apart. In fact, I even enjoyed it, and welcomed the refreshing take on one of Newsom's earlier beauties, despite the fact that BBC only included two of the original's lovely verses (and a weird pronunciation of detrain/detwain?). I did miss some of the quirky lyrics that led me to love Swansea in the first place, but BBC didn't refrain from incorporating quirky vocals via frontman Jack Steadman. I would say that the vocals are an homage to Joanna, but listening through the rest of the album leads me to conclude that it's his natural voice.
Swansea:
The rest of the record is more folky-acoustic-weirdness condensed into a truly beautiful compilation. "Ivy and Gold" really makes me wish I could whistle, "My God" almost makes me wish I believed in one (ALMOST), and "Flaws" creates a stunning world where actual flaws aren't uncomfortable, embarrassing, or burdensome. Or at least they don't sound so bad when Steadman is singing about them. And the harmonies, OH MY, the HARMONIES. So gorgeous.
Folk-Rock Rave? I would.
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