After shining in the half light at the end of the pandemic, Elles Bailey is now standing beneath a neon glow. Her latest album is borne less from anger at lockdown inequality; more from a spirit at ease with life as an independent musician. She is one of the trailblazers in pursuit of this calling. Her new release makes reference to such, and shares wisdom learnt along the way. For seasoned fans, there is nothing new here. Just a sound that has become perfectly honed through what has come before.
‘Beneath the Neon Glow’ opens with a typically uplifting message. ‘Enjoy the Ride’ is testament to the lived experience of Bailey as an artist. Here is someone with confidence in their own ability and artistic vision. Not chasing the industry’s definition of success but realising dreams whatever the outcome. “I’m pretty sure there’s not a pot of gold where the colours end” is not the first line by accident, I propose. Rather, it is a metaphor for music as a journey, shaped not by “the men in suits” but by the paintbrush in Bailey’s own hand: “I’ll blend up all the pigments and paint a picture [myself]”. The result is songs like ‘Ballad of a Broken Dream’, a heartrending story wrapped in a deceptively upbeat sound; ‘Leave the Light On’, a touching tribute to the unconditional love of home; and ‘1972’, an example of how she traverses the boundaries of genre even as she is rooted in the Blues.
‘1972’ is particularly striking in its embrace of disco/funk. It is to this album what ‘Sunshine City’ was to the last: a moment of real out-and-out fun amidst the more soulful fare of tracks such as ‘Silhouette in the Sunset’ and ‘Truth Ain’t Gonna Save Us’. The former is characteristic of Elles’ penchant for stripped-back storytelling. For as good as her musicians are, this is a reminder of how well she can hold the listener with very little around her. Not that they’re to be forgotten of course, as Katey Brooks demonstrates on ‘If This is Love’ and ‘Love Yourself’. Her superb backing vocals emboss them with a golden sheen that makes the poetic lyrics of the first sing, and the 70s vibe of the second ring out with pure delight.
‘Love Yourself’ contains an important message in a sometimes-understated chorus. Its composition works however, in the same way as ‘Help Somebody’ (from the album ‘Road I Call Home’) remains grounded in its call. As a result, the lyrics don’t get lost beneath a pile of electric guitar riffs and banging drums. Instead, they are able to breathe into the mind of the listener and offer comfort and encouragement. This is, I want to suggest, Elles Bailey’s passion, because she wouldn’t be here herself without them.
It means that album closer ‘Turn Off the News’ plumbs depths otherwise untouched if the heart was absent from her words. It allows her to explore the incongruous privilege of being able to “Set down the weight of the world / and just for a moment pretend it’s okay” with a conflicted honesty. She has a deft emotional touch which has been there from the beginning. As a result, ‘Beneath the Neon Glow’, though not breaking new ground, nevertheless recognises her steadfastness in an industry that often demands change and conformity. Elles Bailey remains true to herself. We love her for it. The chart success of ‘Beneath the Neon Glow’ is simply a bonus.
You can purchase ‘Beneath the Neon Glow’ from Elles Bailey’s online store, along with associated merch, here. Her tour begins in September, UK dates for which can be found here.
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