REVIEW: BMX Bandits, Theme Park (Big Deal)
- Rey Roldan
Now darn near 12 years old, Scotland's unsung heroes of cutesy pop BMX Bandits have ventured Stateside and are all-the-more ready for the onslaught. Theme Park encompasses the cuddlecore aesthetic w ithout falling on its twee smiley smiles and its cheeky cheeks. Wielding huge pop hooks and simple but very potent melodies, BMX Bandits have scored a winning victory with chimy guitars and heartless but not disinterested vocals.
Sounding quite like the Scottish equivalent to New Zealands own unsung popsters The Bats, this ever-shifting and ever-evolving band has always been about the musical genius of sole original member Duglas Stewart. Like an indie pop equivalent of John Mayall, Stewart has nurtured and help start the careers of prodigies who have since surpassed his own success. Being the godfather of Shaggy/Baggy Trousers indie dance, hes held house for the likes of Sean Dickson and Jim McCulloch (Soupdragons), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Joe McAlinden (Superstar), and Eugene Kelly and Gordon Keen (Eugenius). Now teamed with Francis McDonald (whose worked with Melody Dog and Boy Hairdressers), Stewart has reached deep into his pockets and pulled out gems like the Byrdsy "Girl Next Door" and the tribal-beated "Nuclear Summertime".
As fey as he sometimes comes across, like on the cloying "I Wanna Fall in Love" (featuring guest vocalist Kle) and the Burt Bacharach-y "Love Makes the World Go Round", BMX Bandits seem to easily overcome the smarminess with a seemingly genuine appreciation for pure pop constructions and a clear hats-off to Big Star. But its the winning "Before the Blue Moon" with a loungy, luau vibe and the bouncy "In the Afterglow" that are just so feel-good and clever that they merit the band a place in the Perfect Euro Pop Realm that is occupied by Trashcan Sinatras, The Dylans, Five Thirty and The Las.
As their first foray and introduction into the US market, Theme Park may not be thrilling as the latest zero gravity rollercoaster or stomach-turning Tilt-a-Whirl. But sometimes, it's nice to ride the carousels and merry-go-rounds and devour cotton candy by the handful. And rides like that that make me smile.
