Bell X1 - Blue Lights on the Runway

1 of 1

Superior business as usual

How apt a title for a band that some feel never took off on record and for whom others believe that the sky is the limit. It's unlikely that 'Blue Lights on the Runway' will change those opinions either way: the mixture of poignancy and joy, ballads and brass neck, smart lyrics and good hooks is largely the same as it ever was - and there's another huge Talking Heads reference when you start listening.

What's so pleasing for those already strapped in is the craft that's gone into the songs and the efforts to make each of them as memorable as they are atmospheric - even the aforementioned 'The Great Defector' is hard not to like and keep the beat to. And the highlight, the aptly titled 'A Better Band', shows that Paul Noonan and crew should rock out more in the future, with the slow build to heavy guitars having the same intensity of release the longer you listen.

A rarity these days: a flight that you can actually enjoy from start to finish.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella - How Your Heart - The Great Defector - Blow Ins - Amelia - A Better Band - Breastfed - Light Catches Your Face - One Stringed Harp - The Curtains Are Twitching