For an album full of such short songs it sure has taken me a long time to get around to writing about Oh No, It’s Love, the sophomore effort from The Bicycles.  Admittedly, I was initially put off by the large track listing, but this is one of the few bands that can pull of 19 songs and still come in at an easily digestible 37 minutes.  Add to that the fact that it’s a diverse, upbeat and highly enjoyable outing from start to finish and I’ve got nothing but praise for this Toronto band.

Listening to Oh No, It’s Love is the equivalent of having your ears attend the biggest party of the year—it’s frantic, fun and ridiculously intoxicating. Just when you think you’ve got one song’s awesome melody in your head the next one is upon you and wreaking mental havoc. Of course, the tunes aren’t just quick throwaways. They each represent a diverse and expertly crafted dose of melodic pop and no two of which are exactly alike. Be it the quirky opening assault of “Won’t She Be Surprised,” the stunning and hipnotically sweet “Once Was Not Enough” (currently my personal favourite) or the righteously rockin’ jaunt that is “Walk Away (from a Good Thing)” this album never lets up. 

Jam packed with more hooks than a pirate convention and unaffraid to straddle the lines of genre (“Stop Calling me Baby”), Oh No, It’s Love is a musical multi-vitamin and I highly recommend upping your daily dosage.

—

The Bicycles - Won’t She Be Surprised

The Bicycles - Roland

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Oh No, It’s Love here. Also check out the live clips from The Bicycles’ CD release party at Lee’s Palace a couple weeks ago here.