Since it was announced recently that The Bicycles are on hiatus, it's only fair to take a look at their recent album. That way, we'll realize just how much we're going to miss this enjoyable indie group from Toronto.
Oh No, It's Love (2008) is the follow-up to 2006's The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly. There is a sense of pretension at first glance. The cover of Oh No, It's Love has an abstract contemporary art design, while the back features all four members posing with their indie inspired "B" t-shirts. Of course, one can't judge a CD by its cover. But there is the early assumption that the album will feature material that is too creative and snobbish. Fortunately, that is not the case.
Oh No, It's Love is a delightful collection of 19 energetic songs. Each track has a lively tempo and is bound to pick up your spirits, even if some of the lyrics are about heartbreak. The Bicycles are like The Ramones, but more musically educated. The majority of tracks are short and don't drag on. There are also no pauses between the tracks, which allows the positive energy to keep flowing. The overall presentation is fast-paced without any disruptions.
Oh No, It's Love also shows The Bicycles' versatility. The band incorporates an eclectic amount of instruments into their music. There is also a large contingent of musicians and artists who accompany The Bicycles on this album, including Laura Barrett and Peter Chapman (Peter Project). With so much backing from Toronto's indie community, perhaps The Bicycles are more of a collective than a band.
It's too bad the members of this band are taking a break to pursue other projects. But there is the possibility that they will reunite sometime in the future. However, if Oh No, It's Love turns out to be The Bicycles' final album, then we can all take solace in the fact that the band went out with a bang.
For more information on The Bicycles, please visit www.thebicycles.ca.
2 comments:
There are only two people who can convince me the Bikes are gone forever (people who are in a position to say for sure) and neither of them are saying that, neither of them is even saying 'probably the end' at this point only "I don't know". So - I don't know if this makes anyone feel any better but the impression I get is that it's totally up in the air right now.
First time of heard of the bikes and I gotta say that the video for Oh no, it's love is pretty cool. And it's pretty of a song too!
Post a Comment