Bell X1

Aside from placements in TV shows like The O.C., Bell X1 have seen minimal breakthrough in the U.S. compared to the success they have achieved in their Irish homeland. While their name alone may not yet have the chart-topping power of contemporaries like Keane and Snow Patrol, their music most definitely does. On Blue Lights, they blend a tinge of twang with the anthemic balladry of fellow Irishmen the Frames ("Blow Ins," "Light Catches Your Face") and the choppy eccentric rock of the Talking Heads ("The Great Defector"). It's a poppy mix that's slightly quirky and all sweet.

Like their former bandmate Damien Rice, this Irish trio know from beauty. Their fourth
album is full of sweet, cushy melodies surrounded by well-arranged electronic textures:
"How Your Heart Is Wired," where Paul Noonan whisper-croons over programmed drums
and plush sound effects, will be ear candy to Coldplay fans; elsewhere, he spikes his lyrics
with cheeky asides and references to Of Mice and Men. Blue Lights is uneven, b... More >