Potential

The second package I received as a paid up Last Night From Glasgow member earlier this year included The Bluebells: In The 21st Century and unexpectedly it's proved to be one of my favourite albums of this year. It's also gone down very well here at Casa K, which can't be said for many of my music choices and purchases.

 

I say 'unexpectedly' as apart from the ubiquitous Young At Heart and Cath (which both preceded and followed it as a single), I wasn't familiar with The Bluebells at all. So, I had no real preconceptions or prejudices but from the moment I opened up the parcel, I knew that I was holding something special.

 

The album itself is gorgeously packaged in a gatefold sleeve and inner containing lyrics to all twelve songs. I have the berry red vinyl - other flavours available - and it was a delight to place it gently on the turtable, lift the arm and drop the needle, settling back to hear the music begin. 

 

In The 21st Century is 45 minutes of pure pleasure, crammed so full of hooks, lush orchestration, tempo and style changes and singalong choruses that it's hard to believe that this is only The Bluebells' second album proper (third if you count 1992 Japan-only album Second). 

To illustrate, here are the official videos for second song Gone Tomorrow and Side 2 opener Anyone Could Be A Buzzcock.

 

 

As the album title suggests, this is not the sound of The Bluebells trying to recapture a moment in time from three decades ago. The beautifully lifting music belies some of the more reflective lyrics - shared amongst the band - that consider the passing of years, life experiences that have shaped them and the reality of the world as it is today. Ken McCluskey is in superb voice throughout, backed with glorious harmonies and melodies from brother David and Robert Hodgens.

 

It's imposssible to pick a favourite song. The album starts with Daddy Was An Engineer and i'd pick that, but then I hear the next song and the next song and so on. Orienteering is superb, Beautiful Mess is heart-tuggingly beautiful, but then what about The Ballad Of The Bells? And the closer, She Rises? I love this album more with each listen, it really is something special.

Today's post title is a line taken from Orienteering, "Do I have potential?" Taken out of lyrical context and positioned as a question regarding The Bluebells' capacity to gift the world with one of the year's finest albums, I wholeheartedly reply, "Yes!"

In The 21st Century and the reissued and expanded debut album Sisters are available with a selection of other lovely merch right here.