Biffy Clyro - The Vertigo Of Bliss on CD

Description

2008 reissue of the Scottish outfit's second album, originally released in 2003. The success of their fourth album, Puzzle, has created a huge buzz and new fans are scouring the bins in search of their previous albums. Vertigo of Bliss should satisfy these new fans, although it's sound is raw around the edges and filled with more adrenalin. 13 tracks. PIAS.

Based on the evidence of The Vertigo of Bliss, Ayrshire's Biffy Clyro have matured massively since their debut album, Blackened Sky. While retaining a highly refined melodic sensibility that manifests itself mostly in their effortless vocal harmonies, they've added a metallic heaviness to their sound, and bravely given themselves full range to experiment.

The Vertigo of Bliss is never predictable, hardly even stable. Most of the tracks here are in constant flux. Pastoral acoustic guitars, fuzzed bass and sweet strings slip in and out of the mix, leading on to the next folksy interlude, wild jazz break or punky firestorm. One example of this is "With Aplomb", where a pretty acoustic riff is gradually submerged in lush strings and vocal harmonies, before the band engage in a series of brief solos rising to a kind of Elizabethan rock climax recalling Ritchie Blackmore. Elsewhere "Diary of Always" is a bizarre ballad driven by a Laurie Anderson-style vocal pulse, while "Now the Action Is on Fire!" mixes turbulent guitars and staccato strings, like a cross between John Cale and Ozzy Osbourne.