BASTILLE

“Bad Blood” (Virgin)

When you’re clocking up a couple of million YouTube views and three hit singles in the UK, you ain’t no record company hype. Bastille is the brainchild of film obsessive Dan Smith. Check out the cover art and you’ll get the vibe: the image looks straight out of a David Lynch film; which makes sense when you see that one of the hits on board is called Laura Palmer. When it comes to personnel, Bastille, who are Smith and mates, have employed some heavy hitters. Spike Stent has worked with everyone [Noel Gallagher/U2], and so has mixer Bob Ludwig. The whole shebang was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

While it’s very 2013, there’s an eighties throwback in the production. The chant that starts the current hit, Pompeii, could have been a Mondo Rock sample. In the scheme of things, Bastille would be the UK band that featured on Countdown who were pretty cool… but not great. The title track recalls Coldplay, while Weight Of Living Pt II could be Boom Crash Opera meets Robert Palmer during his Gary Numan period: still, it is an absolute corker with beautiful Beach Boys-esque harmonies. Even Laura Palmer, with all of those lyrics about ‘night’ and ‘beating hearts’, could be a lost Jim Steinman track.

There’s no doubt there’s some good tunes on the record. Check Bastille out live and you’ll hear something unique in Smith’s voice http://www.abconcerts.be/nl/abtv/p/detail/bastille-plays-flaws Here the band impress, but there’s nothing unique when it comes to sonics. What will bring you back are those bloody hooky songs.

[rating: 3/5]

TOM