Saloon - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: Saloon

Song: Bicycle Thieves

Album: What We Call Progress (2002)

A pretty song from a Reading, England art-pop band. Unfortunately I can't really make out any of the lyrics. You can listen to the track on the website of their label, Darla.com. Here's also a review of the album it's from (What We Call Progress), and an interview with the band.

(…) Is film important to Saloon? (‘Bicycle Thieves’ would sound great on a soundtrack.)
Michael: Well, "Bicycle Thieves" is a great Italian neo-realist film. When we're working on new material, we sometimes discuss ideas in visual terms, and these will often refer to Cinema. It's interesting to describe and understand sound in terms of related images, and in that sense music is certainly more refined - as such you need to work harder to impress people. We get a lot of people watching us with their eyes closed - if that's possible - maybe that tells us something?!

(…) In 2001, Saloon recorded their debut album. (This Is) What We Call Progress, which was engineered by singer Amanda Gomez at the Reading College School of Art and Design (now part of Thames Valley University) and mixed by Andrew Prinz of Mahogany in his New York studio, who also designed the sleeve. The album was released in April 2002 to mostly favourable reviews including the Sunday Times in the UK who listed it amongst their top 10 of the year.

(…) Think of all the best British bands from the 1980s and you have the basis for Saloon. Think New Order, The Cocteau Twins, The Smiths. Revel in the hint of a Wedding Present thrash-out in 'Le Weekend'. Wallow in the My Bloody Valentine bit in 'Static'. And then...
And then ask me what's so special about this , if I can so easily and effectively refer it to the past.

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