Too often in music criticism ‘interesting’ is used as a synonym for ‘bad’ but not so in the case of Andy Bell’s ‘Pinball Wanderer’, which is a hugely diverse and genuinely interesting record from the consistently busy shoegaze pioneer.
In the past 18 months alone, Bell has put out a couple of records as his electronica alter ego GLOK, continued work on the Mantra of the Cosmos project, and released a new Ride album. Some will also know him as the bassist for Oasis in the 10 years leading up to their 2009 split, so there’s another layer of intrigue to consider.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because there’s lots of fun to be had here. Apple Green UFO is a darling indie shuffler somewhere between Stone Roses and The Smile, building towards a tremendous fuzz guitar solo that lasts for about 10 minutes at the end.
Despite this, the song never threatens to outstay its welcome, and one can imagine it forming a thrilling extemporisation live.
I’m In Love… is also excellent. Here, krautrock strumming courtesy of Neu! guitarist Michael Rother is blended majestically with breathy vocals from Scottish singer-songwriter Dot Allison. The track is one of the album’s strongest and most memorable, and acts as a bit of a centrepiece to the sound.
There is another gem in Music Concrete, which leads off with a blippy synth motif and dips back into shuffly rhythms that are joined more clearly by groovy hand drumming. It’s great, arty music that could easily soundtrack a St Martin’s College fashion show. Again, this is a good thing.
Though the last two tracks fade away, ‘Pinball Wanderer’ remains a very good listen, with songs that come and go with a quiet expertise. Bell seems like the kind of musician who might be able to turn down those Oasis gigs if they are offered — one wonders whether it would be a shame to disrupt this current creative purple patch with the Gallaghers’ shenanigans.
Andy Bell Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat May 03 2025 - MANCHESTER Bridgewater Hall
Sun May 11 2025 - BOURNEMOUTH Pavilion Theatre
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