AMG Review of Bloodless Coup

Andrew Leahey
All Music Guide

Taking a page from 2009’s Blue Lights on the Runway, Bell X1’s fifth album continues to mix nervy electronics with anthemic pop/rock, resulting in ten brainy, quirky epics that target the heart as well as the head. Much has been made of Bell X1’s status as the second-biggest band in Ireland, and they certainly sound like it, with songs that swing for the cheap seats and melodies that bear more than a few similarities to the U2 songbook. The group finds a balance between electronic programming and organic instruments on Bloodless Coup, sidestepping the problems that plagued U2’s Pop by using synthesizers and drum machines to enhance, not dominate, the songs. The lyrics are often tongue-in-cheek, with Paul Noonan singing about humdrum topics like haloumi cheese, YouTube videos, and McDonalds, but the music is panoramic and gorgeous throughout.