Richard BodinAndy Bell is an incredibly busy and prolific musician. With a career spanning over four decades, he has played with numerous bands—including Ride and Oasis—as well as pursued a solo career. In less than a year, the Welshman has released no fewer than three albums. He released the first one, Interplay with Ride, almost a year ago (March 2024). Then came Alliance, under his electronic alter ego GLOK, in collaboration with Timothy Clerkin. And now, he is releasing his third solo album, Pinball Wanderer.
While Andy Bell drew from older material written in the ’90s for his two previous albums, this time, he mostly created new material, with the exception of I’m in Love… Pinball Wanderer showcases Bell’s musical versatility, blending shoegaze, krautrock, and electronica. His vocals fade into the mix, becoming just another layer in the sonic landscape he crafts.
A Unique Sound and Standout Tracks
Like his previous album, he received support from former Oasis bandmate Gem Archer. However, this time, Archer is credited not for playing, but as an additional producer. Unlike before, Andy came to Gem with little material to start with and recorded the rhythm section—drums and bass—alongside him. He then proceeded to build the rest of the album around it.
Ahead of the album’s release, I’m in Love… was issued as a single. After collaborating with Dot Allison (One Dove) on her 2023 album Consciousology, Andy Bell invited her to sing on this cover of The Passions’ I’m in Love with a German Star. He had initially recorded the song as GLOK and performed it live, but remained unsatisfied with the result. He ultimately decided to re-record it entirely (except for Allison’s vocals), this time featuring a contribution from Michael Rother (Neu!). The trio’s rendition is undoubtedly one of the album’s highlights.
The album opens with Panic Attack, a track driven by a steady beat. Its atmospheric shoegaze layers are also reminiscent of The Stone Roses. As the album progresses, electronic influences seep further into the mix, particularly in The Notes You Never Hear and Space Station Mantra, while the instrumental title track is more stripped-down.
The epic Apple Green UFO is a fantastic eight-minute track with an obsessive rhythmic section and groovy guitar riffs. It’s impossible not to think of The Stone Roses’ legendary Fools Gold while listening. A few tracks later, Music Concrete kicks in—shorter, more electronic, yet equally hypnotic. The track itself seems to pay homage to Musique Concrète, the experimental sound movement of the mid-’60s that laid the groundwork for electronic music.
A Last-Minute Creative Sprint
What’s remarkable about Pinball Wanderer is how quickly it came together. The album was nearly finished, with most of it recorded, but everything was wrapped up in a single night. Andy Bell was meant to send I’m in Love… for mastering before heading off on tour the following morning. After adding Michael Rother’s freshly recorded guitar parts, he only intended to finalize the mix. However, one thing led to another, and Bell found himself on a creative roll, pulling an all-nighter—improvising and recording Space Station Mantra, making final tweaks, mixing everything, and compiling the tracklist. In the morning, he sent it off with a note: “I’m going to change my mind on this, but I’ve mixed the whole record.” He never changed is mind.
On Pinball Wanderer, Andy Bell proves just how versatile he is. He quite literally does it all—playing all the instruments, producing, mixing—most of it in a single night. Nothing short of amazing.
