Bell X1: Blue Lights On The Runway

Ironically for a band named after the first aircraft to shatter the sound barrier, the lads in Bell X1 have been a little slow transporting the success they’ve enjoyed in their native Ireland across the teeming Atlantic to the United States. But while 2008’s Flock landed them a spot on Letterman and song placements on a number of TV shows (most notably a high-profile episode of The OC), their new record Blue Lights On The Runway has the potential to turn X1 into a stateside #1. The digitized percussion opening lead single “How Your Heart Is Wired” quickly spills into a lush guitar riff that suggests a more adrenalized version of Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host.” Lead singer Paul Noonan is a savagely brilliant, left-field lyricist. You’ll find a lump in your throat even when you don’t know exactly what he’s getting at. Longtime fans suffered a crushing blow when keyboardist/utility man Brian Crosby left the band in fall of 2008, but Bell X1 appears determined to not lose an ounce of momentum.