Flaws
Encyclopedia
Flaws is the second studio album
by British
alternative rock
band Bombay Bicycle Club
, released on 9 July 2010 by Island Records
. Contrary to the band's previous releases, the album is entirely acoustic music
, consisting of versions of their own tracks as well as cover version
s of other artists. The album was produced in part by guitarist Jamie MacColl's father Neil MacColl, with recording taking place in February 2009 at The Church in Crouch End
, London
. The band started work on the album after completing their debut, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose
.
that they were recording an acoustic EP
in the Lake District
, while continuing to promote their debut album. Following the completion of their debut during the same month, the band regrouped at The Church, a recording studio
in Crouch End
, London
. The album was produced
in part by Neil MacColl, guitarist MacColl's father. The rest of the album's production was completed by vocalist Jack Steadman, in Steadman's bedroom. In an interview with the Daily Record
on 6 February 2010, the band revealed they had completed recording the album, with MacColl confirming "[it's] hopefully going to come out in May or June".
The album was completed in entirely acoustic music
. Tracks include reworked versions of some of the band's previous releases, alongside original tracks and cover version
s of other artists. Album track "Dust on the Ground" was previously recorded on the band's debut I Had the Blues.., released as the album's lead single on 29 June 2009. "Jewel" had also been previously released, as a b-side to 2010 single "Evening/Morning
". "Fairytale Lullaby" is a cover of the late John Martyn (then titled "Fairy Tale Lullaby"), from his debut album London Conversation
. "Swansea", the final track on the album, is a reworked version of the Joanna Newsom
track of the same name.
at the Union Chapel
in London
, performing an acoustic concert in aid of homeless charity Crisis
. During the set, the band aired acoustic versions of "Flaws" and "Ivy & Gold". Later in the same month, the band embarked on the "Tour For Lulu" throughout June–July 2009, performing four dates in the United Kingdom at locations chosen by fans. The tour was due to the band having a number of days off in between recording. One location on the tour included a beach hut
in Hengistbury Head
, with the band including a cover of Joy Division
's "Love Will Tear Us Apart
". The album was confirmed for release on 12 July 2010 in the United Kingdom, on CD
and vinyl
.
Flaws was preceded by a 7-inch vinyl of "Ivy & Gold" and title track "Flaws", released on 5 July 2010. Zane Lowe
named "Ivy & Gold" his "Hottest Record in the World" on 12 May 2010, an acclaim given to "Jewel" and ..Blues.. single "Magnet" previously. "Ivy & Gold" was also A Listed in the BBC Radio 1
playlist. As well as this, the band have announced a seven date tour of the United Kingdom, with most performances taking place in churches. All dates are to be performed acoustically. The band also confirmed through Twitter
that a video is to be recorded for each track, with "Flaws", "Ivy & Gold", "Swansea" and "Dust on the Ground" in circulation prior to the album's release. A deluxe version of the album, released through online retailer Play.com
, includes a DVD containing the videos.
gave the album a normalized
rating of 63, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".
On 19 April 2011 it was announced that 'Flaws' has been nominated for the 2011 Ivor Novello award for best album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Bombay Bicycle Club
Bombay Bicycle Club
Bombay Bicycle Club are a British indie rock and folk band from Crouch End, London. The band comprises: Jack Steadman , Jamie MacColl , Ed Nash and Suren de Saram ....
, released on 9 July 2010 by Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. Contrary to the band's previous releases, the album is entirely acoustic music
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, consisting of versions of their own tracks as well as cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of other artists. The album was produced in part by guitarist Jamie MacColl's father Neil MacColl, with recording taking place in February 2009 at The Church in Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The band started work on the album after completing their debut, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose
I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose
I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose is the debut album by London alternative rock band, Bombay Bicycle Club released on 3 July 2009. The band announced the title through MySpace and their official website on 31 March 2009. The album was recorded during October—November 2008, with long-term...
.
Recording
Initial talks of an acoustic release began in February 2009, with the band confirming through MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
that they were recording an acoustic EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, while continuing to promote their debut album. Following the completion of their debut during the same month, the band regrouped at The Church, a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in Crouch End
Crouch End
Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The album was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
in part by Neil MacColl, guitarist MacColl's father. The rest of the album's production was completed by vocalist Jack Steadman, in Steadman's bedroom. In an interview with the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
on 6 February 2010, the band revealed they had completed recording the album, with MacColl confirming "[it's] hopefully going to come out in May or June".
The album was completed in entirely acoustic music
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
. Tracks include reworked versions of some of the band's previous releases, alongside original tracks and cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of other artists. Album track "Dust on the Ground" was previously recorded on the band's debut I Had the Blues.., released as the album's lead single on 29 June 2009. "Jewel" had also been previously released, as a b-side to 2010 single "Evening/Morning
Evening/Morning
"Evening/Morning" is the debut single from North London quartet Bombay Bicycle Club. The single was released through independent label: "Young and Lost Club" on 4 August 2008 and was made available as both a 7" vinyl and a Digital Download....
". "Fairytale Lullaby" is a cover of the late John Martyn (then titled "Fairy Tale Lullaby"), from his debut album London Conversation
London Conversation
London Conversation is the first album by John Martyn released on Island Records in 1967. Largely self-penned, the album is much more folk oriented than the Blues/Jazz tinged later releases...
. "Swansea", the final track on the album, is a reworked version of the Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
track of the same name.
Promotion and release
On 2 June 2009, the band supported StarsailorStarsailor (band)
Starsailor is an English post-britpop band, formed in Leigh, Warrington and Greater Manchester. By 2009, they had four charting albums and ten Top 40 singles in the UK since 2001.-Early history:...
at the Union Chapel
Union Chapel, Islington
The Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, performing an acoustic concert in aid of homeless charity Crisis
Crisis (charity)
Crisis is is the UK national charity for single homeless people. The charity offers year-round education, employment, housing and well-being services from centres in London, Newcastle, Oxford, Edinburgh and Merseyside, called Crisis Skylight Centres....
. During the set, the band aired acoustic versions of "Flaws" and "Ivy & Gold". Later in the same month, the band embarked on the "Tour For Lulu" throughout June–July 2009, performing four dates in the United Kingdom at locations chosen by fans. The tour was due to the band having a number of days off in between recording. One location on the tour included a beach hut
Beach hut
A beach hut is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, changing into and out of swimming costumes and for the safe storing of some personal belongings...
in Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head
Hengistbury Head is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Milford on Sea in the English county of Dorset.At the end is a spit which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour.-Location:...
, with the band including a cover of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
's "Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
". The album was confirmed for release on 12 July 2010 in the United Kingdom, on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
Flaws was preceded by a 7-inch vinyl of "Ivy & Gold" and title track "Flaws", released on 5 July 2010. Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
named "Ivy & Gold" his "Hottest Record in the World" on 12 May 2010, an acclaim given to "Jewel" and ..Blues.. single "Magnet" previously. "Ivy & Gold" was also A Listed in the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
playlist. As well as this, the band have announced a seven date tour of the United Kingdom, with most performances taking place in churches. All dates are to be performed acoustically. The band also confirmed through Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that a video is to be recorded for each track, with "Flaws", "Ivy & Gold", "Swansea" and "Dust on the Ground" in circulation prior to the album's release. A deluxe version of the album, released through online retailer Play.com
Play.com
Play Ltd., trading as Play.com, is a Jersey-based online retailer of DVDs, CDs, books, gadgets, video games, DRM-free MP3 downloads, and other electronic products, as well as clothes and accessories. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rakuten Group....
, includes a DVD containing the videos.
Reception
Flaws received a mixed reception from critics. Review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the album a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating of 63, indicating "Mixed or average reviews".
On 19 April 2011 it was announced that 'Flaws' has been nominated for the 2011 Ivor Novello award for best album
Track listing
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
8 |