Neither Am I
	(Universal / CD)
	Fiona Reid

Bell X1’s debut album displays a touching uncertainty. Apart from the robust vanguard of ‘Pinball Machine’ and the confident swish of ‘Man On Mir,’ Neither Am I has a preponderance of translucent ballads. Most of these, while genuinely lovely, are not as striking as they might be, due to the distant, dreamy production style. Bell X1 really get it right on the elegant, hypnotic heart-tug of ‘Offshore’ and the quivering closer ‘Deep’ is superb. They fare well with songs which don’t take themselves too seriously – the sweet nostalgic sentiment of ‘Slow Set’, for example, or ‘Blue Rinse Baby’ with its schoolyard sketches and references to legends of childhood TV, like Button Moon and Bagpuss. A good strong shot of passion could have really invigorated Neither Am I in some places, particularly when you consider how a potentially ballsy number like ‘Face’ is allowed to slip by when it should really have shaken the album out of its reverie. Then again, in some cases, the addition of unnecessary flourishes, like the semi-comic vocal echoes on ‘Volcano’, can detract from the delicate power the song inherently possesses. The writing is very articulate, but there’s a danger in trying to be too cerebral. I would love to be able to ladle on the superlatives here, but there’s a sense still of potential unfulfilled. It’s a good start. Now, let’s see BellX1 go from strength to strength.