Power Of Pop [En]: "BMX Bandits Forever" [Review]
PoP RECOMMENDS | POP POWER !!! : BMX BANDITS – BMX BANDITS FOREVER
Revered 90s pop-rock band BMX Bandits are back with a fab new album, BMX Bandits Forever!
Singer and principal songwriter Duglas T Stewart, the heart and soul of BMX Bandits, remains its main focus, backed by a rotating cast of musicians over the years. This time Stewart is aided by musical collaborator, producer-songwriter Stuart Kidd and multi-instrumentalist and singer Chloe Philip, the band’s newest member.
BMX Bandits Forever, the band’s first release in five years, provides the usual thrills and spills for longtime fans, never once straying from its gorgeous agenda of sophisticated sunshine pop that bring to mind the wondrous influences of Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone.
The music is effervescent throughout – from the opening breezy “My Girl Midge” to the closing instrumental reprise of the tender “Mais Do Que Valsa”.
Considering how beautiful most of the music is, it is perhaps surprising to learn that the album comes on the heels of a particularly difficult time for Stewart – as the album was made during a time where Stewart was struggling with personal demons, mental health and physical health issues.
While the lyrics might reflect a dark time, there is a message of hope expressed by the title track, a heartfelt rendition of Dennis Wilson’s Beach Boys classic.
BMX Bandits Forever is a shot in the arm for the true blue pop lover. Bloody essential!
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