78 Saab - The Bells Line (Album)

78 Saab is not a car, but a band named after a car and they, ironically, make great driving music.
The Bells Line is a return to the normal for 78 Saab, with the same vocal melodies and signature guitar riffs they’re well known for. It’s folk with a little bit of 70’s thrown in for some spice, with track “Needle In The Hay” screaming like feel good acid trip in the back of a 'Shagging wagon'.

So other than having myself feeling unusually drowsy after listening to it, what can I say? 78 Saab know what they’re doing, they know the ingredients when it comes to making a good song and they aren’t wavering from it. Apart from some well written lyrics, most of the songs on the album sound like a prequel to the last, the same slow driven rhythm and safe laidback air.

“One Of These Days” is a great track, showcasing the variety and maybe even making the whole album a little faster. “Drive” also has this effect with a driving drum-beat and Ben Nash’s vocal hitting some sweet high notes, with the whole song switching back and forth between fast and slow. They’re appropriate and predictable single releases, pulling any discerning folk rock punter in for another listen. I like the touch of organ in “Messed Up” and the overall darker moodier sound of the track, with the bass making it’s appearance half way through, before a ripping little guitar solo. It’s a little disappointing to then hear yet another ‘I’m driving through the desert thinking about you’ song after another. Every now and again you hear something which could be explosively exciting if taken to the next level, only to have it be ripped from your grasp to be replaced by the predetermined bluesy, folk sound.

78 Saab fans will be happy to hear the same style they’re used to re-configured and worked with, the album sounding smoother and more developed than their previous releases. It’s a good album for the band but it’s far stretch to being the stand-out release of the year.

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