New Music Review 2018 #3

Ten more songs that you have to hear!

Baxter Dury - Prince Of Tears

It's an unusual mix of styles with light-hearted pop verses mixed with Madness like rhythms and William Shatner-like vocal sections. That might sound quite eccentric but like the best off-the-wall recipes works in a cool, string-led way. (7/10)

Django Django - In Your Beat

Quite an unusually produced track, as you'd expect from this act, this Pet Shop Boys-esque pop-dance number with distorted vocals and a large instrumental opening, is quirky and fun in equal measure. (7/10)

Elles Bailey - The People We Used To Be (Acoustic)

We've loved the singles so far from Bailey from her debut album and this acoustic track taken from the deluxe version of her album is simple and stripped back but this makes for the perfect showcase for her delightful voice and the twangs of the country guitar. Deliciously chilled out. (7.5/10)

First Aid Kit - Fireworks

'Fireworks' is another throwback sounding sixties-feeling song from the beautifully sounding 'First Aid Kit'. It's perhaps a little too Mariah-Carey in parts but it's gentle warmth will win you over. (7/10)

Graham J. - Déjà Vu

Picking up from his festive themed release last month the king of the falsetto returns with this gentle, operatic number. The verses are perhaps a little free form for my tastes but the building chorus and the heartful delivery work very well. (6.5/10)

Nick Byrne - Birch Tree

'Birch Tree' is a delightfully gentle and evocative folk-tinged song with Byrne's smooth and ear-pleasing vocals complimented well by the subtle and swaying strings. Beautiful. (7/10)

Patrick Bergin - Crazy in Love

The Irish actor releases this chilled out, soulful jazz number that takes the familiar sounds and expectations but brings them together in a cool, relaxed vibe that will envelop you and bring a chilled out smile to your face, its whistle section, percussion layer and catchy chorus all working in its favour. (7.5/10)

Paulaa - Know You

With hints of electronica in elements of the song, this is a well produced and intriguing number. It might lack a standout chorus but it's a pleasing fusion of styles with a relaxed chilled-out vibe and hints of 90s rnb. (6.5/10)

Robbie Williams - Ms Pepper

A great song cut from Robbie's latest b-sides collection which will make you wonder why it didn't appear on a proper album. A soaring ballad with a catchy central chorus (later re-used in an official song) this is a touching, building pop-ballad with plenty of heart and one of the highlights of the LP. (7.5/10)

TC&I - Scatter Me

With hints of Placebo and Divine Comedy in its style this is a really quirky but catchy little pop number. Its driving rhythm and fun style lift it up. Fun! (7.5/10)

[Review] Elles Bailey - The Grove Inn, Leeds

Bristol-based country singer Elles Bailey arrived in Leeds ahead of her appearance in Colne and the Great British R&B Fest to perform a two-part set to an eager crowd in the intimate back room of the Grove Inn.

Greeting the crowd with a friendly smile she asked about whether she should wear her red or black hat - bought for just £1 from H&M in Leeds a while back and now accumulating "three tours of sweat!" - to complete her spot-on country look of ripped jeans and checkered shirt tied carefully at the front. Accompanied by a band of guitarist, bassist and drummer, packed tightly into the room decorated with photos of musicians great and small, as a four-piece they proceeded to lift the roof off the pub through a combination of throbbing bass, passionate drums and Bailey's pitch-perfect powerful voice that sounded mature beyond her youthful years.

The first part of the set began with her big hitter 'Same Flame' which was belted out with such energy it was difficult not to be entranced by the tight performance from the band. Bailey, who alternated between standing, and performing at the keys, switched it up through many songs from her upcoming album 'Wildfire', including the mid-tempo swagger of 'Barrel of Your Gun', ballad 'Perfect Storm' and the emotive 'What If I'. A delightful cover of Howlin' Wolf's 'Spoonful' fleshed out the first set, the acapella breakdown just one highlight of this strong cover.

Further songs filled out the first eight with plenty of breakdowns and solos packed with enthusiasm and energy and the four piece both captured the music and atmosphere well, alongside looking like they were having great fun. A passionate drum solo near the end was one of the best performances I've seen on percussion that close up, and the energy sent the vinyls on the merch stand tumbling to the floor, an act resembling the 'fall of capitalism' according to the drummer, adding to the fun banter between songs.

After a brief break they returned to the room to bring more great songs to the receptive crowd, alongside some nicely pitched anecdotes about pronouncing local town Keighley like the the irish dance. The second set included 'Waiting Game', 'Time's A Healer', 'Wildfire' and a song about Janis Joplin entitled 'Girl Who Owned the Blues', the latter four taken from the album out next week, also including a more traditional country-sounding cover of Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' which was also performed live in this section.

Though the room might have been intimate and the crowd not as big as at their recent festival appearances, Elles Bailey and her band gave the show everything they had and the excellent musicianship and her powerful voice full of energy filled the room. If you like your country music with heart and energy then you need to check out Elles Bailey on future dates. If this gig is a taste of what's to come, she's got a very promising rest of 2017. (8/10)

KBPS Interview: Elles Bailey

Bristol-based Elles Bailey has a talent for crafting and seamlessly weaving rootsy blues, country, and soulful rock, with a contemporary edge. What’s more fate has blessed her with a ‘smoky vocal’ style that perfectly fits her music. Now, the miracle girl with the made-for-the-blues voice is about to release her debut album, ‘Wildfire’, on 1st September, 2017.

We got a chance to speak to her and began by asking her about her upcoming live dates.

You start the next part of your tour in Leeds on August 26^th. How are preparations going?

I’ve basically been on tour for most of the year, so it’s just picking it up and carrying it on really. It’s all prepared and ready!

Have you enjoyed touring round?

It’s been amazing! I think I’ve been to seven countries this year so feel blessed to all the different places that I’ve been to.

How would you describe your live set?

It’s loud, it’s intense, there’s lots of lovely guitar playing from my guitarist Joe. It’s quite a varied set. I mix and match between songs so I think there’s something for everyone.

You recorded a lot of music in Nashville; what was that experience like?

That was mind-blowing really. I got to work with some of the best musicians in the world. I’m not going to lie; it was all a bit of a blur, but it was just a fabulous experience [and] I’m releasing that album on the 1^st September, so really looking forward to getting that out there.

How would you describe your upcoming debut album ‘Wildfire’?

It’s a mixture of rootsy-blues and country rock. It’s got some really nice country rock guitar playing, and I made sure I put my British guitarist Joe on there because he’s such a big part of my sound. He’s got a really dirty grungy sound to it, so it’s kind of a mixture between the British side of me and the smooth American side as well.

Did you have a lot of the album planned before the studio sessions?

I had all of the songs prepared. I actually wrote a couple of songs whilst I was out there which were never meant to be on the album; I’d already had the album done. I wrote these two songs and people were like ‘you’d be stupid not to put them on the album’ and actually the [song] ‘Same Flame’ is one I co-wrote out there and that’s ended up being a single and I’m really glad that I put that on the record.

What was the inspiration behind your single ‘Same Flame’?

I wanted to do a kind of dirty country-rock song. It’s about a passionate relationship, one that is just as destructive as it is passionate and I’m sure lots of people have been there and can identify with those types of feelings. “Passion and pain / It’s all in the same flame”, and that’s how we came up with that song.

What was it like recording the video?

It was pretty crazy! It looked like we did it in America and I was actually in America just before I filmed it, but I actually flew from LA to Spain and actually filmed it in the Spanish desert rather than in the Californian desert. It was really fun and I had a blast doing it. I love filming music videos, so any excuse, especially when you get to go to the sunshine!

You’ve had some great reactions recently in the country music magazines; that must be great to see?

It’s a funny thing. I recorded this album back in September 2016. I’ve had it in the background for a long time and I’m so ready to release it now but the scariest thing is when you send it out to the press and they’ve got all their reviews to do before you actually release the music and I’ve just been totally overwhelmed at the critics’ reaction to it. Maverick gave it five stars, which blew me away, and I feel humbled. But it’s all about the amazing team that helped put the record together; the team in Nashville and the UK. Plus I have a wonderful PR team who are doing the releases, so kudos to all of them!

You’re also running a campaign on Pledge Music. Has that been helpful to you as an artist in reaching out to your fans?

Oh yes. I’ve been amazed by what Pledge offer. The main reason I’ve done this is to really connect with fans in an interesting way. Basically if you pledge online you get opened up to this VIP area where there’s exclusive videos and content available, only to the people who pledged, so they get something more than just an album or a download. They get to see the recording as it happened as I recorded everything and made these cute little videos. It’s quite a nice thing actually; I’d recommend people to pledge. Of course I would!

Finally what are your big ambitions for the rest of the year?

I don’t really know! I’m touring until the end of the year so it’s hard to really think beyond that, but I am actually taking part in something called the UK Blues Challenge, and if I win that I get to go to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge and also to Europe. It would be amazing to win that and get to travel to perform in Memphis; that would be a pretty cool thing. There’s five bands and we’re playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and there’s six judges, so it’s kind of like the Blues does The X Factor, I guess, but way more cool! It’s going to be something very interesting, and the competition’s very good so whoever wins it, it will be a great achievement. But it’s something high on my list. 

Find out more about Elles Bailey on Facebook.

New Music Review #79

Ten more songs that we recommend for your ears!

Charli XCX - Boys

Charli XCX continues to go a bit more RNB and electro with this simplistic, 8-bit, Rihanna-like tune. It's not particular highbrow and a little too slow and basic compared to her bigger hits, but it has a fun rhythm. (6.5/10)

Chris Tavener - Faking Cool

'Faking Cool' is a great tongue-in-cheek indie-pop swing with a catchy underlying rhythm. Great lyrics and a neat way of avoiding swearing in the title, this is a real fun little number. (7/10)

Echotape - Forget It

'Forget It' is a catchy, mid-tempo pop-indie track with a catchy chorus that is the opposite of what the title would suggest, with a gentle, chill-out vibe flowing through it. (6.5/10)

Elles Bailey - Same Flame

'Same Flame' is a welcome little mid-tempo country number with Bailey's strong vocals matched with a familiar sounding, but memorable, guitar-twanging ditty. A great listen! (7/10)


Paytron Saint - Deckchair

'Deckchair' is a short and darkly produced indie number that's atmospheric in its sound and evocative in its structure. (6.5/10)

Reggie ‘N’ Bollie - This Is The Life

It might be the time of year that makes me recommend this, but it's a catchy, if a little generic, summer anthem that will get you up and moving. (6.5/10)

Rinngs - Oceans

With echoes of Justin Bieber's 'Sorry', it's possibly the first song I've ever heard containing the phrase 'Life coach'. 'Oceans' is a cool EDM number, and the Gotye / Kimbra vibe to the vocal works really well, and though it builds to a strong crescendo it lacks the big USP to go with its smooth production. (6.5/10)

Rupert Stroud - Heart and Soul (EP)

Landing at six tracks and opening with the titular number, the 'Heart and Soul' EP is a surprisingly dark affair with hints at an Editors vibe. The title track, with its gentle build, is my favourite of the half-dozen with its hint at a strong live tune. 'Fate' continues the smooth, swaying feel whilst 'The Truth' kicks the pace up with a feel similar to the Kooks. 'Demons', 'Spirit' and the live-sounding 'Believe', the second half of the release, continues the mix of darker production and strong vocals. At times you wish things would be a bit lighter but it's a strong collection of tracks. (6/10)

Tom Lee-Richards - Beside You

'Beside You' is a slow-paced but sultry little number with Lee-Richards distinctive vocals matched with a pleasingly layered production style. (7/10)

'Weird Al' Yankovic - Captain Underpants Theme

Taken from the surprisingly funny kids film, this is a cheesy and catchy superhero-themed songs packed with plenty of puns and a great, bouncy style familiar to fans of Yankovic. (7/10)

New Music Review #50

Ten more tracks you need to hear!

alt-J - In Cold Blood

Alt-J are back and though 'In Cold Blood' doesn't have the same hooky nature as their earlier material this is actually one of their best in a while, with several vocal hooks, a poppier overtone and some strong production. (7/10)

Carol Laula - August Leaves

It might have taken a while for this song to come to our attention but this is a beautiful understated indie-pop ballad with plenty of heart. Delightful. (7.5/10)

Cliff Richard & The Piano Guys - (It's Gonna Be) Okay

This collaboraton is a fun poppy number that's Cliff's best thing in years. With hints of 'Bright Light, Bright Light' this is a bouncy number that lights up the radio. (7.5/10)

Dua Lipa - Lost In Your Light feat. Miguel

A more subdued affair than her previous singles this is a strong ballad between the two vocalists and has plenty of emotion in there. (6.5/10)

Elles Bailey - Wildfire

'Wildfire' is a great pop-indie crossover with Bailey's vocals and the rough guitars complimenting each other on a mid-tempo hit. (7.5/10)

James TW - Ex

It perhaps run out of fresh ideas before its conclusion but it's a neat little indie-pop number. (7.5/10)

Oh Wonder - Ultralife

Taken from an upcoming new album this is 'Oh Wonder' on more uplifting form but still boasting their very listenable vocals and progressive strong structure. A little poppier than their last album but still great. (7.5/10)

Robbie Williams - The Heavy Entertainment Show

The opening track of Robbie's latest album finally gets a full video. A perfect opening song, this mixture of Williams' inflated ego and Serge Gainsbourg's sample works well in creating a rather eclectic story-driven song. (7.5/10)

Sam Way and Henry Dell - Pretty Liability

With hints of Example and Calvin Harris this is a bouncy pop-club crossover with a catchy poppy chorus. (7/10)

Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back

Another fun pop song from Mendes with a heady mixture of building up production and very listenable lyrical delivery. Not earth shattering but good. (7/10)