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RTE.ie Entertainment - "Flock" - October 13 2005
Bell X1 have put together a diverse collection, with the rocky vitriol of 'Reacharound' moving smoothly into the disco beat of 'Flame' and the gentler tones of 'Rocky Took a Lover'. The sounds here, as well as the lyrics, are intriguing. The songs meander unexpectedly, taking different directions and adding to the album's complexity. When you can find something appealing about every song on an album, even the ones you wouldn't call your favourites, you know you've got something really special. Such was the case with 'Music in Mouth' and Bell X1 have done it again on 'Flock'. A turn of phrase or an interesting melody in the songs here finds you really engaging with the album, and the band behind it. 'Flock' is an accomplished collection from a clever and inventive band, whose talent deserves heapings of praise. Success at home seems assured, and 'Flock' should help Bell X1 make a real impact abroad too. Katie Moten, 4/5
Hot Press - Olympia, Dublin - November 3 2005"Today in Dublin, BellX1 fever is more virulent than the office outbreak of winter flu. They’re on the radio, doing in-stores on Grafton St. Water-cooler talk is of who’s got a ticket, who doesn’t have a ticket and, as the panic of the ticketless sets in, who’s got a spare one. To see BellX1 at their hometown show is not just to witness the first live airing of Flock. It’s also the proud moment when our boys come good. Indeed, they’ve taken a confident stride forwards, walking on stage in suits. The audience know they mean business. ‘Reacharound’, a born opener, kicks off the set and after that there’s no fag breaks for an hour and a half. As only fit for such a momentous gig, their spot-on set delivers unrelenting goosebumps, whether it’s brought on by the haunting undertones of ‘First Born For A Song’ or the sheer joy of ‘Alphabet Soup’. It’s only next to the unrestrained cheers for Music In Mouth songs that the Flock response is put in perspective (for they’ve all but disowned their debut, Neither Am I). The album is only five days on the shelves and it shows. Given time, ‘Flame’ will no doubt be the band’s live highlight, but for this evening the award remains with the night’s closer, ‘I’ll See Your Heart And Raise You Mine’, touchingly delivered by a shut-eyed Paul Noonan as if it were the first time he told the story of the angel who played poker with the devil in the Garden of Eden before it all went pear-shaped. Noonan stops to thank the crowd three times during the night, sounding genuinely humbled to be number one in the mid-weeks and play to a fervent audience. But when they put on shows as compelling as these, the gratitude’s all ours."
Hot Press - Oxegen 2004"We arrive in time to hear Bell X1 soar through Eve (The Apple Of My Eye) to a soggy but delirious crowd, standing dripping and grinning on the Ticket Stage tarmac. Paul Noonan’s crowd are at that delicious point in a band’s career where they can do no wrong – in fact, as odd as it sounds, it wouldn’t be overstating it to say they’re the heart of this year’s Oxegen in the way that The Frames, not appearing this year, usually tend to be. Paul himself, meanwhile… well, a girl can’t turn her back on Bell X1 for a second, ‘cos even in the few short months since we’ve seen them last he’s become, in a word, a rock star. Writhing and jittering through the searing skrunk of ‘Tongue’, the shapes he throws onstage make you recall those early comparisons to Radiohead – but’s more than a lazy label, and it’s more than a passing resemblance to the voice, or in any case it doesn’t stop there. It’s that presence, that feeling that something life-changing is alchemising onstage: they’re magnetic. Just to prove it further, they knock out a lovely, delicate ‘I’ll See Your Heart & Raise You Mine’, segueing at its end into the Flaming Lips’ ‘Do You Realize??’, and despite the unsubtle sound and attention-deficit-disorder audience that you get at a festival, they pull us into the palms of their hands as easily as if we were in the Olympia or Vicar St. We’re so proud."
HMV.co.uk - "Music In Mouth" July 2003'Music In Mouth' is the new album from Dublin-based quartet Bell X1. The band are Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby, David Geraghty and Dominic Phillips, who have made music together in many guises since the early 90s. The album was recorded over the course of 2002 in a series of locations from Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey and The Fallout Shelter in London, to various houses in Dublin, Kilkenny and London. 'Music In Mouth' was recorded by Jamie Cullum (Tom McRae, Perry Blake). Notable guests on the record include Olli Kraus (Beth Orton) on cello and Margaret White (Sparklehorse) on vocals and violin. While they're not overly keen to blow their own collective trumpet it is certainly true that repeated playing of `Music In Mouth' reveals its depths. Whether that's in the ingenious central idea of opening track 'Snakes And Snakes' (there are no ladders), or the equally satisfying picture that I'll see 'Your Heart' and 'Raise You Mine' conjures; whether it's the way the banjo sounds like an eastern instrument in 'Alphabet Soup', the simple elegiac qualities and atmosphere of 'Bound For Boston Hill', or the neo-folk jug band eroticism and exuberance in 'West Of Her Spine', these are songs that stick around and make their presence welcome. Put simply, 'Music In Mouth' should show the world that Bell X1 are a band that have something for everyone. Includes the single 'White Water Song'. 'And so the Irish invasion picks up pace, as Kildare's Bell X1 spring from the traps. More robust than the Thrills, closer to the finished article than the Basement, Bell X1 have been four years honing their sound. This is rock with gusto and drive and confidence and intent, Radiohead as Radiohead should sound now. It puts down a brave marker' - NME
Heathenangel - Music In Mouth
Although the songs are mainly string and piano led ballads, there are other styles in here too. “West of her Spine” takes after “The Coral” with its country/blues-y sound while the first two singles “White Water Song” and “Tongue” follow a more rocky path. “Music in Mouth” closes with “I’ll See Your Heart and I’ll Raise You Mine”, a song about the angel and the devil on your shoulders falling in love. A strange song but one that leaves you in a quiet reflective mood, and which encapsulates the mood of the album overall. For me, there is one stand out track, the stunningly beautiful “Eve, the Apple of My Eye” which is definitely one of my songs of the year. Sadly the rest of the album doesn’t live up to this standard. It is rather inconsistent, however, where it is good it’s outstanding and more than makes up for it. While Bell X1 are not yet consistent enough to have fully earned their given title of “the next Radiohead” they certainly are one of the best new bands around today and “Music in Mouth” more than does them justice. Sophie Sharpe, 2003
Rating: 7/10
Heathenangel - Music In Mouth (5 track sampler)Having been around for a few years and now having broken Ireland with their debut album, ‘Neither Am I’, Bell X1 turn their attention to the UK. Instead of releasing and promoting ‘Neither Am I’ here in the UK, the band instead begin their campaign for UK chart success with a new album, presumably in part to appease their Irish fans who would have grown impatient and disgruntled at having to wait for the Bellies to attack the UK charts before any new material would have appeared. ‘Neither Am I’ is a wonderful collection of songs displaying an eclectic range of influences and styles bringing a freshness to ‘indie rock’. Some of the tracks contained on this sampler show some attempt to build on their Irish debut. The opening 2 tracks resemble ‘The Bends’ era Radiohead with ‘White Water Song’ being a frenzied rock number and forthcoming single ‘Tongue’ taking a more laid back stroll, building throughout to a rock climax. ‘Next To You’ could almost be any mid tempo indie rock ballad number but is saved by a nice addition of some trumpet towards the end. ‘Eve, the Apple of My Eye’ on the other hand is a gorgeous heartfelt ballad but again offers little different from what is currently available. ‘Snakes and Snakes’ returns to the mould of the material on ‘Neither Am I’, taking standard indie fare and giving it a little twist and distinctiveness. Provided the rest of the songs on the complete album are in the vain of this sampler then Bell X1 have the potential to make a few waves in the UK and start build up a following over here. If that happens, we may just be rewarded with the release of ‘Neither Am I’ in the UK – and that is a tasty prospect indeed. Scott Brown, 2003
Rating: 7/10
NY Times - Bell X1 - Jan.23 2005"You may have heard of this band's former lead singer, Damien Rice, who departed the group (then called Juniper) in 1999. But no matter: with "Music in Mouth" (Road Records), you can't imagine anyone but Paul Noonan, the new singer supplying the vocals. "Eve, the Apple of My Eye" is as soaring and joyful a sad song as you'll hear. "In Every Sunflower" is channelling some serious "Kid A"-era Radiohead. The album was recorded in a series of locations, and it feels that way - coherence is not its strong suit. But who needs coherence when you have "Alphabet Soup," which is alt-rock at its finest, instantly catchy and a nice use of the always underrated banjo, or "Next to You," which sounds like a song from a band that has listened to its share of Neil Finn? If you're looking to nurse a broken heart, these guys will make you feel good doing so." Hot Press - Eve, The Apple Of My Eye
Bell X1 "Bell X1’s transformation into one of the big bands is already in process, with only an all-conquering run of festival appearances left to complete the picture.. As such, the release of another single from Music In Mouth is probably something of an afterthought but this is still an effortlessly lovely ballad. More interestingly, you have to wonder that if Snow Patrol could break so spectacularly across the water, is a similar fate for this lot such an unlikely prospect? Not at all." Colm O Hare, Hot Press
Cork 103FM - Mandela Hall, BelfastShoegazing is rampant both on and offstage and interaction between band and crowd is almost non-existent. Only during the final number It Should Be Always Like This, is their any indication of life. Edgeweather can be a lot better than this; tonight they were pretty ordinary. Playing only their second gig ever, Lefaro could give lessons in warming up a crowd. Somewhere in between his commitments with Corrigan and his solo performances, Jonny Black found a spare half hour and decided to share a veritable feast of riffs he had hidden away. Amazingly tight for such a new outfit, they ease their way through thirty minutes of gritty garage rock and if the response from the crowd is anything to go by, gig number three should be a busy affair. Watch this space. Headliners BellX1 are tonight playing only their second headliner in the city, yet word of mouth seems to have generated a sizeable crowd. Opening with the slow-burning Daybreak, it’s not until Snakes & Snakes that the charismatic Paul Noonan gets the opportunity to break from the confines of his microphone and guitar and the pace is raised. For the duration of the set, he is undoubtedly the focal point; captivating even while standing still, he encapsulates the aura of what a frontman should be. He’s in a jovial mood tonight too, relaying his childhood image of Belfast as an ‘exotic’ place (due to having an Argos!), and leading the crowd through a question and answer cover of Outkast’s Hey Ya!; ‘What’s cooler than being cool?’ being met with an en masse ‘Ice Cold!’ Music in Mouth is simply an outstanding album and tonight it accounts for the bulk of the set. As rich as it is varied, quieter moments such as Next To You and Eve, The Apple Of My Eye only serve to make the back to back power of Tongue and White Water song all the more dramatic. Making it’s debut outing, new song Bigger Than Me is possibly their finest to date while I’ll See Your Heart & I’ll Raise You Mine, adapted tonight to include a quick run through Cash classic Ring Of Fire, concludes proceedings, the band leaving the crowd wanting an encore but not getting it. Forget Snakes & Snakes, it’s ladders all the way for BellX1. Alan Maguire (Alternative Ulster), April 7 2004
irismagazine.net - Vicar St.
Here Ye, Here Ye, For I Have a Tale "Bell X1 have all the qualities that make you so fuckin’ proud to be Irish- Paul Noonan’s haunting, yet tender vocals, Dave’s dexterity on guitar, keyboard, harmonica and vox as well as a defiant drummer, bass player and rhythm guitarist." Read the review
Hot Press - "Bell Of The Ball"
"Music In Mouth" If there's one clue Bell X1's second album is giving away prior to listening, it's that the songs will be doing the talking. Recorded in a cottage in Wexford, Music In Mouth, the band's second album, is a decidedly more lo-fi affair than its predecessor, and goes to great lengths in order to illustrate the band's evolution from electronica-and-random-weird-noises indie rock to more comfortable, well-worn sounds. No doubt as a result of their relentless touring schedule, Music In Mouth is a more unified, distinctive and cohesive record that showcases the band's multiple directions, adding further conviction to the depths of epic balladeering on 'Eve, The Apple Of My Eye', the quirky pop of 'Next To You' or the manic rock of 'White Water Song' (albeit with a decidedly indie sensibility). Another string to Bell X1's bow is the fact that their search for strange new sounds is no longer confined to an effects board. Take for example 'Bound For Boston Hill'; a soulful, yet uneasy, down-tempo and (I hate to say it) Radiohead-esque track whose balmy basslines and haunting, otherworldly vocal give dimension to the song without crowding it with layer upon layer of digital wizardry. Similarly, 'Daybreak' is a stellar effort that sees the band utilise heady atmospherics to create a warm, fuzzy, dream-like sound. However, they haven't banished the guitars. Album opener 'Snakes & Snakes' boasts a beefy riff, and the aforementioned 'White Water Song' (one of my favourite singles of the year thus far) makes no excuses for its abandon. Utterly manic, serrated hooks prevail, with Paul Noonan's vocal adding a bluesy gloss. In fact, one of Bell X1's greatest assets is Noonan's voice, and his words possess a kind of emotional weight not too dissimilar from that of his former bandmate, Damien Rice – evocative, arresting, and yet so spine-tinglingly hushed. Take 'In Every Sunflower' – a gentle lo fi number that sees Noonan employ the honeyed tones that herald the Thom Yorke comparisons: gentle caterwauls and heady vibratos, complemented by sustained, melancholic keyboards and subtle rhythms. On Music In Mouth, Bell X1 have emerged as a band more comfortable in their own skin. Their sound is now more of a collaborative band effort, and is thus more charged and potent, laced with an inherent Bell X1-ness that overrides and nullifies the fact that the album is not breaking uncharted musical ground.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Dub Links - Bell X1
Bell X1 + Damien Rice = Juniper, or rather Juniper formed in 1991 when Damien Rice, Brian Crosby, Paul Noonan and Dominic Phillips were still in school in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. They kept the band together while in college, playing weddings, 21st Birthday parties and the like. They soon hooked up with Dave Geraghty, who opens their eyes to a whole new range of music. In 1999 Damien Rice decided Juniper was not working for him and took off for Tuscany. That seems to have worked out for him; he found his voice and has gone on the great things. The same can be said of the rest of the boys too though: they carried on without Damien, renaming themselves Bell X1, after the first plane to break the sound barrier. The association with the ideas of breaking barriers and something to do with sound suits them well. If Juniper were a promising band, as attested by their singles Weatherman and The World Is Dead and their EP Manna, then Damien Rice and Bell X1 are two individual fulfilments of that promise. Later on in 1999, Bell X1 recorded their first album, Neither Am I, produced with the help of Nick Seymour of Crowded House. It was a downbeat Indie-Rock affair that suggested, as their Juniper work did, a whole lot of potential. The following year after a few single releases and a load of gigs, they released Neither Am I to the public. After those brilliant gigs, the recording that was released may have seemed a disappointment to those who had grown used to their live sound. The album was endowed with numerous strong moments, but like too many other debuts, those moments fall short of coalescing into a unique and unified whole. But their live performances on the other hand succeed where the recording failed, not hinting at greatness, but showing it off. After the release of Neither Am I, there was a cooling off period for the band, with the various members heading off to attend to personal projects, playing and recording with a variety of other bands and artists such as Gemma Hayes and Mundy. They came together again in 2002 to record a second album, Music In Mouth, which was just released on the 18th of July. This new release ups the tempo a little, sounding a little like Radiohead on (more) psychedelics. Again there are many great moments (Check out 'White Water Song' or 'West of her Spine' if you have any doubts), but it is not always clear what they are meant to fit into. What ever about their recordings, their live performances always pay off. If the inventiveness (or should that be re-inventiveness?) demonstrated on Music In Mouth is anything to go by, the 6th promises to be an excellent show from this young band.
Vicar St
HMV.co.uk - "Snakes & Snakes" - September 2003
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entertainment.ie - "Music In Mouth"
Bell X1's second album, Music in Mouth, is out now. The title for the new album comes from the poem, 'The Planter's Daughter' by Austin Clarke. Hot on the heels of last their latest single, 'Tongue', and following a spellbinding performance at Witnness, Bell X1 go back to full throttle touring mode in the UK. They tour over there until the first week in August when they return to Ireland for a tour starting on 9th August in The Village followed by live shows in Cork, Limerick, Clonakilty, Dundalk and Belfast. Bell X1's debut album Neither Am I was released in Ireland in October 2000. Since then they have built up a loyal following, released a couple of well received singles and played some great gigs. Andrew Lynch
Shakenstir.co.uk - "Music In Mouth"
This is a new and beautiful album from one of Ireland's very best indie-rock bands. First track, Snakes & Ladders opens with jangling guitar chords and the seductively smooth tones of its lead singer, Paul Noonan. There's a strong folky flavour to a song that bounds along with a strong melody and distinctive, vivid rock ambience. It really is a bit of a stunner. Track two, Alphabet Soup, is another delicious, medium-paced pop/rock song with a massive melody and another wonderful vocal performance by Noonan who sounds somewhere between John Lennon and David Byrne. So far, two songs, two potential charting singles. Daybreak slows the pace dramatically with a dark, ghostly song of mesmerising beauty and deep emotion. I'm reminded of Radiohead and Coldplay as I listen, and frankly this is better than any of these bands' most recent work. Stunning. Stark keyboard notes introduce the next track, Eve, The Apple Of My Eye. This song just blows me away with its melancholy and contemplative beauty. There's even a couple of Beatles instrumental moments on this heartstopping and epic track. The songs just keep coming and I'm left breathless at the wonderful achievement here. There's welcome diversity of pace, wonderful lyrics, very strong melodies, and great production from a band who have beat Coldplay at their own game. Certainly one of the finest and most beautiful albums I've heard this year. Essential. Tony 5/5
Irish Independent - "Music In Mouth"
Music In Mouth - the title derived from an Austin Clarke poem - is the sound of a band in supremely confident form. Snakes & Snakes, Alphabet Soup and Tongue (and old song, co-penned by former bandmate Damien Rice) are effortlessly catchy upbeat numbers. But Bell X1 are at their best when they slow the tempo down. Anybody who doesn't find the melancholic Bound For Boston Hill to be one of the most sublimely languid pieces of music released this year should be checked immediately for a heartbeat. Sadness permeates the album. Much seems to be inspired by the tragic death of former No Disco presenter Uaneen Fitzsimons, who was in a relationship with frontman Paul Noonan at the time. In Every Sunflower, with its funeral organ and Noonan's plaintive vocals, is a heartrending masterpiece. Their influences are many, but you can hear the atmospheric sound of Pink Floyd in Daybreak, while the piano-driven Eve, The Apple Of My Eye sounds like Coldplay at their best. ***** 5/5
RTÉ - "Music In Mouth"
Album review:Big records come, big records go; the biggest treats are those you weren't expecting. Like this one. Nothing on Bell X1's routine debut suggested they were capable of this but as 'Music in Mouth' knows and shows, things don't always turn out as expected. It sees the quartet pushing themselves in different directions and coming up with a joy and sadness that prove as contagious as each other. If they sound grown but not fully on 'Tongue' and 'White Water Song' then the rest of the tracks shows a band thinking outside the a,b,c of guitar rock. The likes of 'Snakes & Snakes' and 'West of her Spine' bounce on a ramshackle, romantic charm that's only heightened by the shade offered by 'Eve, The Apple of My Eye' and 'Bound for Boston Hill'. Even then, the class of the latter are eclipsed by the closing tracks. 'In Every Sunflower' and 'I'll See Your Heart & I'll Raise You Mine', may seem to offer more heartache than hope but if this has any advice, it's to keep on keeping on. And no one can hear that too often. Harry Guerin
Bell X1 - "Music In Mouth"
Such comparisons heap a considerable weight of expectation on the shoulders of this bright Dublin band, though this album suggests they are up to it. What we have here are love songs with a twist of lemon - slightly sour but piquant rather than corrosive. Just occasionally we get a song of true beauty such as Eve, The Apple Of My Eye, and the entire album is never less than intelligent well-crafted rock which covers all bases from the mordant plod of Bound For Boston Hill to the angry guitars of Tongue and White Water Song, by way of edgy and enthralling janglers like Snakes And Snakes. Good stuff. After just one complete listen the maturity of this being a second album is very clear. A lot of the grand and affecting changes that singer Paul Noonan has in his voice have definitely come with repetition. Perhaps I'm not supposed to be telling you that it's not a debut, because as first albums go it would definitely be one of this years best so far. But Bell X1 aren't as fresh faced a bunch as The Thrills, tracks like "Alphabet Soup", opener "Snakes & Snakes" and "Tongue" have a we love playing these loud and live quality about them. Layers of banjo and guitar swell along to the internal-mini-epic choruses. It's all gloriously uplifting when blasted out nice and loud. The band have also been handed this year's honour of being the new Radiohead. It's a lazy comparison, because Bell X1 take a more personal and poetic view of a much smaller world than the grandiose confusion spewed by Thom etc. If you do want a 'sound-a-like' then Elbow (the new Radiohead MKII), Turin Brakes or Tom McRae (who they've supported) do spring to mind; big songs about small subjects sung with power and grace.
BBC - "Music In Mouth"Unthreatening guitar music from Dublin.
Iris Magazine - Bell X1 rock The VillageBellx1 at The Village August 9th NME said they were playing music now the way Radiohead would be in similar times and I happen to disagree whole heartedly with this statement. The band that brought us Pinball Machine and such memorable tunes is riding the crest of the fame wave. Right now, in the post-gig awe Im feeling about this band I would say that NME’s quote is not compliment enough to emphasise the sheer brilliance of our own Bellx1 and their music. The band, formerly known to those who saw them in Whelans or touring in years gone by as Juniper and minus former band member Damien Rice, brought a sweating wreathing village crowd to its knees with a non stop rollercoaster of a rock show. This sold out event was undoubtedly one of my personnel music highlights of the year for Irish live music and showed just how far Bellx1 has come as a band, as musicians, songwriters and performers. Support on the night came from Brit rock outfit The Veils with whom Bell have been touring England with and who delivered a suffiencently interesting set to merit them attention as a focus of the night rather then simply a precursor to a spectacular show. However I will say it would have been to The Veils advantage had their stage presence remotely paralleled that of Bellx1 who non stop seemed to be having the time of their life with the audience while The Veils seemed too much focused on quality rather then enjoying themselves and interacting with their audience, mores the pity in my mind as this helps build a rapor between a group and its new listeners. Then Bellx1 took to the smoky stage only to be greeted by an unprecedented cry from the already sopping, sweating crowd, (no one seemed able to shut up about the sweat and the heat all night) and soon our shiny faces were transfixed by the stage. From the first bar of their opening tune the guys showed the diversity and emotion and rock influences in their music and now especially with this new material which is full of metaphors, intelligent lyrics and amazingly catchy riffs, material which will undoubtedly lend to their stealing the baton away from The Frames as Dublin’s number one live Irish rock act. This show was packed with tunes from the first album ‘Neither am I’ and so many potential hits from the new one, including new single Tongue which shows nothing if not the scope and range of the way these guys write and produce tunes. With a short and to the point comment to the crowd about the sheer honour and pleasure they felt upon hearing the welcome Bellx1 received, they really did deliver that indescribable rock and roll vibe, lacking in buckets right now in Dublin with the churning out of melancholic soft rock by local bands, and delivered a non-stop ride of rock music. One of my top three live gigs of the last five years. If you are really smart you’ll catch the boys on their Irish tour dates in the coming weeks and get tickets early, they vanish and with good reason. Music In Mouth is out now.
Uncut Magazine - "Music In Mouth"
Max Bell
Dublinks - Bell X1Bell X1 Bell X1 + Damien Rice = Juniper, or rather Juniper formed in 1991 when Damien Rice, Brian Crosby, Paul Noonan and Dominic Phillips were still in school in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. They kept the band together while in college, playing weddings, 21st birthday parties and the like. They soon hooked up with Dave Geraghty, who opens their eyes to a whole new range of music. In 1999 Damien Rice decided Juniper was not working for him and took off for Tuscany. That seems to have worked out for him; he found his voice and has gone on the great things. The same can be said of the rest of the boys too though: they carried on without Damien, renaming themselves Bell X1, after the first plane to break the sound barrier. The association with the ideas of breaking barriers and something to do with sound suits them well. If Juniper were a promising band, as attested by their singles Weatherman and The World Is Dead and their EP Manna, then Damien Rice and Bell X1 are two individual fulfilments of that promise. Later on in 1999, Bell X1 recorded their first album, Neither Am I, produced with the help of Nick Seymour of Crowded House. It was a downbeat Indie-Rock affair that suggested, as their Juniper work did, a whole lot of potential. The following year after a few single releases and a load of gigs, they released Neither Am I to the public. After those brilliant gigs, the recording that was released may have seemed a disappointment to those who had grown used to their live sound. The album was endowed with numerous strong moments, but like too many other debuts, those moments fall short of coalescing into a unique and unified whole. But their live performances on the other hand succeed where the recording failed, not hinting at greatness, but showing it off. After the release of Neither Am I, there was a cooling off period for the band, with the various members heading off to attend to personal projects, playing and recording with a variety of other bands and artists such as Gemma Hayes and Mundy. They came together again in 2002 to record a second album, Music In Mouth, which was just released on the 18th of July. This new release ups the tempo a little, sounding a little like Radiohead on (more) psychedelics. Again there are many great moments (Check out 'White Water Song' or 'West of her Spine' if you have any doubts), but it is not always clear what they are meant to fit into. What ever about their recordings, their live performances always pay off. If the inventiveness (or should that be re-inventiveness?) demonstrated on Music In Mouth is anything to go by, the 9th promises to be an excellent show from this young band. The Village
NME.com - "White Water Song"
virtual-festivals - "White Water Song"
altmusic.net - Bell X1 liveBell X1 The indie rockers Bell X1 and The Veils put on a little show for us Bristolians at The Louisiana. Shyness and some lovely music followed, as well as lovely flashy light things. Today wasn't exactly my most organised of days; early this morning I got an email from PR 'reminding' me that I'm meant to be seeing The Veils and Bell X1 in the evening… I smiled, then suddenly realised that I was intending to attend another gig that night. I then think carefully, remember that it's either some art-indie or generic punk rockers Grebo and emo thingies My Awesome Compilation. I firmly decide that maybe indie is the best bet. Just in case my day couldn't get any more awkward, I foolishly forgot my camera, so if you're going to scroll down expecting Rich's Radical Photos, think again, there aren't any. Don't cry; that was my job earlier. Anyway back on track; arriving fashionably late as usual (I spent a good half an hour 'navigating' for my mate who was providing the transport, and subsequently getting him lost on what is usually a 5 minute drive), I entered the venue to find that in fact I'd missed no bands, and within minutes onto the stage stepped some indie boys who clung together and group hugged. How lovely. Ladies and gentlemen, this is The Veils. Playing what I would describe as 'shy-art-indie-core', The Veils assumed the position of possibly the most reserved people ever, featuring a bassist who looked far from happy to be playing and doing harmonies and a singer who seemed to think that if he ever looks someone in the eye he might turn to stone. It was all a rather strange experience really; did you feel any connection with the singer, and despite the massive amount of emotion he put into his music, he seemed somewhat TOO detached from the people in front of him. At times this was an uplifting beautiful experience to see someone so indulged, but at other times it seemed that he was 'trying to be' Jeff Buckley with his singing style and stage presence; sadly he didn't fool me and despite showing a good range at times, his vocals seemed somewhat forced in comparison to the aforementioned late music god's flowing sound… and as for the presence… he doesn't even come close. Still, it's unfair to associate a lower profile singer with such a high profile and respected artist, and on a whole they weren't a bad band, yet sadly their songs stretched out too far and didn't really 'go anywhere', almost stuck in stasis and too scared to come out (wow, same as the vocalist then). However, eventually the music picked up and on reaching the end the band played an absolutely gorgeous ending 'rock out'; just shame the rest of the set wasn't up to much really… (6) Next on the double bill bonanza were Bell X1; admittedly, I hadn't heard a second of this band's material before entering the venue, but the minute they laid down their first few notes, I was impressed. Playing what was quite an eclectic mix of sounds, Bell X1 pleasantly surprised me by their ability to take the old tried and tested indie genre, rework it, and make something really quite special out of it. Blessing us with the classic 'Alphabet Soup' (if you don't find yourself toe tapping to this song there's something wrong with you), 'Next To You' and an absolutely stunning number played with a banjo for the first half, Bell X1 really threw everything they had at the crowd; luckily the crowd took the Irish group in with all their warmth, and by the time 'I'll see your heart' was played (“Playing poker…I'll see your heart and raise you mine”), the whole atmosphere was electric. From the warming smiles of the singer and his tambourine to the beautifully played piano and harmonica by the guitarist, the whole band just 'fitted' together perfectly; every song was perfectly orchestrated and played brilliantly in every way. I have to admit it; Bell X1 are great. (9) Bell X1 may not be rewriting and redefining the 'rules' of indie music, but they seem to be going a long way towards bending and twisting them in every way possible. The Veils on the other hand, just didn't 'do it' for me; the combination of the utter shyness and (generally speaking) somewhat stunted songs just put me off. Shame really... Richard Amos, altmusic say: 7/10 | ||
With
the release of 'Music in Mouth' in 2003, Bell X1 crafted a stunning
collection, but the real test lay in whether they could do it again. The
wait is over, their third album, 'Flock', is here, and it's every bit as
good as its predecessor.
“Music in Mouth” is Bell
X1’s debut album in the UK, their first, “Neither Am I” was released in
Ireland only. The majority of the album tracklisting is made up of ballads,
however, opener “Snakes and Snakes” is an interesting take on the children’s
board game snakes and ladders and shows from the outset that not all the
songs to come are heart wrenching tear jerkers.
Our very own Bell X1 take to the stage at Vicar St on the 6th of December.
Irish four-piece Bell X1 have been playing together in one form or another for over ten years. Previously they were a five-piece known as Juniper - the fifth member being the now solo artist Damien Rice. The opening track and highlight of the album, 'Snakes And Snakes' is a clever idea with a quirky slant and a jauntily infectious, Travis-esque melody running through it."
"And so the Irish Invasion picks up pace, as Kildare's BellX1 spring from the traps. More robust than The Thrills, closer to the finished article than The Basement, BellX1 have been four years honing their sound. This is rock with gusto and drive and confidence and intent. Radiohead as Radiohead should sound now. It puts down a brave marker."
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