Bell X1’s “Good Bones” is the Irish band’s first album since the death of bandmate Glenn “G Bone” Keating earlier this year. Hot Press awarded the record 9/10, describing it as a release that confronts loss while also emphasizing affection, connection and the work of sustaining relationships.
The album was recorded in 10 days in upstate New York, with Josh Kaufman handling production. Kaufman, who is also part of Bonny Light Horseman, helped shape a warmer and more organic sound than the one heard on some of Bell X1’s recent releases, the review says.
A warmer arrangement
Hot Press says the band moved away from prominent electronic textures and glitches in favor of instruments played together in a room. Those sessions took place in a deconsecrated church with stained-glass windows, a setting that the review connects with the album’s welcoming character.
The opening group of songs establishes the record’s range. “But First Love” is described as carrying a sense of healing, while “Born” is built around prominent harmonies. “Alone With Your Thoughts” draws on country music, and “Smile Like You Mean It” is presented as a communal, campfire-style song. “Still The Ocean” brings a soulful groove to the sequence.
- “A Peace Offering” pairs Paul Noonan’s falsetto with a large bass part from Dominic Phillips and chiming guitar by David Geraghty.
- “Coughing Up Butterflies” uses a walking bass line and piano figures to examine the difficulty of maintaining long-term relationships.
- “Atlas” is identified as the current single and as an upbeat love song shaped by Noonan’s conversational, imperfectly human lyrics.
The review also highlights the contributions of Geraghty, who takes the lead on “Leaps & Bounds” and “Stay Lost.” “Talking In Your Sleep” brings Noonan and Geraghty together in a vocal exchange that Hot Press considers one of the album’s strongest musical moments.
Bell X1’s release follows a period of change for the group after Keating’s death. Rather than treating grief as the album’s only subject, Hot Press says the songs allow sorrow to exist alongside warmth and love. The review calls the result a record that gains from being heard more than once.
“Good Bones” is scheduled for release Nov. 13.
