Before delving into the intricacies of Bell X1's latest release Chop Chop, it is important to note that they have written what is arguably one of the best songs to come out of the Irish indie music scene in recent years. "In Every Sunflower", from 2007's Music in Mouth, is the kind of song that if you're not on the brink of tears after listening to it then you're either a robot or you found barely enough time between having your arms outstretched while methodically chanting "Brains! Brains!" to give it a proper listen. They've already proved that they can write beautiful songs, and they released a string of quick-hitting songs from subsequent albums which regularly made their way onto the playlists of major Irish radio stations.
Bell X1's songs have staying power, and their albums don't tumble into one another - with each release their sound deviates from their last album. Their 2001 debut Neither Am I is 13 tracks of lo-fi indie, tame but with obvious talent, while 12 years later Chop Chop renders them almost unrecognisable from their earlier songs and, in true Bell X1 style, doesn't mirror their previous material.
Frontman Paul Noonan's lyrics frequently tread the line between literature and humour, never straying into pointlessness or lyrics for the sake of it. Every song on Chop Chop seems to have a grander meaning that isn't immediately apparent from the first few listens. Each song perfectly leads up to the next and goes some way to showing that the album as a format still has a lot to offer.
Opener "Starlings Over Brighton Pier" is a whoosing, gorgerous three minutes of twinkling pianos, while the lyrics deal with escapism to calls of "take me away from this place" mixed with a healthy dose of doubt and uncertainty as Noonan sings about how the starlings "block out the sun/if there was one."
Bell X1's albums tend to have a narrative running through them, and Chop Chop is no different. Each song sounds relevant to the one that it follows, percussion heavy "I WIll Follow You" is a determined sounding track, showing Noonan's vocals at their best, which is followed by the calmer, more thoughtful "Drive-By Summer", a sweet, charming song that latches onto a short-lived summer yet is filled with breezy optimism.
Chop Chop still has the sweeping, grandiose crescendos that Bell X1 do so brilliantly. While the songs don't sound as obviously personal as on previous releases it doesn't feel like Bell X1 are holding back, just that like with all of their other albums, they've done things a bit differently this time.
