&＜限定盤＞

Created by Dan Smith while the rest of the bands members took a break after the Give Me the Future tour, & [Ampersand] is something of a return to Bastilles roots, since it was originally Smiths solo project. As if to reflect the slimmer lineup, Smith dials down Bastilles usual high-impact sound, favoring gentle vocals and softly strummed and plucked guitars for the albums stories of historical and mythological figures. Even if & [Ampersand] doesnt sound quite like Bastilles other albums, the way Smith gives familiar tales a fresh perspective harks back to the "Pompeii" days, especially when the chanted hook kicks in on the prologue "Intros & Narrators." Theres still something endearing in the wonder he finds in the world and people around him as he brings his songs subjects down to earth while celebrating their accomplishments. On "Marie & Polonium," he champions Marie Curies ultimately fatal devotion to her scientific discoveries as "the most rock n roll thing that I might have ever heard." & [Ampersand]s more intimate settings let Smiths thoughtful lyrics take the lead on "Eve & Paradise Lost," which tells the story of that fateful bite of the apple and its aftermath ("I will always take the fall for us"), and on "Seasons & Narcissus," a clever retelling of the mythical love story ("Life rolls by/While we waste away"). Smith doesnt forsake cloud-busting sonics entirely. The Paul Robeson-inspired "Essie & Paul" boasts Bastille-sized choruses even without lavish instrumentation, while "Blue Sky & the Painter" turns Edvard Munchs battle with depression into one of the albums most buoyant highlights. While & [Ampersand]s arrangements occasionally sound too similar to each other, the albums gentler, more reflective incarnation of Bastille still offers plenty for fans who love the bands way with storytelling as much as their usually epic sound. ~ Heather Phares