Two of my core beliefs – there are others, granted – are that a great song translates into whatever format you want to play it in, and that the internet has ruined everything. I’ll admit that’s a strange stance for someone who runs a website to take, but here we are. The opening song here gives me the chance to wallow in both those theories.
First off, “1972” is all about going back to simpler times (I’d say 1975 myself, since “Blood On The Tracks” and “Born To Run” came out that year – and I was born – but still). And more widely, “Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined” tests the other theory too.
Last year Elles Bailey released “Beneath The Neon Glow” – her best album to date – and this new collection acts as a kind of companion piece. It finds Elles and Jonny Henderson playing live and giving the songs a different texture, Henderson’s keys adding warmth and space throughout.
“Ballad Of A Broken Dream” is simply her finest song, full stop, but several others take on new life here. There’s more blues grit to “If This Is Love”, an even calmer poise to “Turn Off The News”, and extra tenderness on the stunning “Leave A Light On” – a song Elles once said was written for her husband, thanking him for keeping things steady at home.
The arrangements are mostly sparse, allowing her voice to breathe. There’s a subtle bit of percussion on “Enjoy The Ride” as she heads full soul ahead, and “Love Yourself” carries a quiet message of self-care that feels all the more personal in this setting. “Silhouette In A Sunset” is as graceful as it sounds, while “Hate That I Love You” feels raw and vulnerable in this stripped-back form. Elles even takes to the piano herself for “Let It Burn”, making it one of the set’s most intimate moments.
And then there’s “Truth Is Gonna Save Us” and the upbeat “Who Needs The Weather” – the latter not even on the original album, which underlines just how strong her songwriting is.
Frankly, if Elles Bailey sang a shopping list, it would sound gorgeous. There’s an element of that timeless quality here, and in another era these versions might have made perfect B-sides – another thing the internet’s taken from us. But whatever your view of modern times, one thing’s certain: “Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined” is quite superb.
Two of my core beliefs – there are others, granted – are that a great song translates into whatever format you want to play it in, and that the internet has ruined everything. I’ll admit that’s a strange stance for someone who runs a website to take, but here we are. The opening song here gives me the chance to wallow in both those theories.
First off, “1972” is all about going back to simpler times (I’d say 1975 myself, since “Blood On The Tracks” and “Born To Run” came out that year – and I was born – but still). And more widely, “Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined” tests the other theory too.
Last year Elles Bailey released “Beneath The Neon Glow” – her best album to date – and this new collection acts as a kind of companion piece. It finds Elles and Jonny Henderson playing live and giving the songs a different texture, Henderson’s keys adding warmth and space throughout.
“Ballad Of A Broken Dream” is simply her finest song, full stop, but several others take on new life here. There’s more blues grit to “If This Is Love”, an even calmer poise to “Turn Off The News”, and extra tenderness on the stunning “Leave A Light On” – a song Elles once said was written for her husband, thanking him for keeping things steady at home.
The arrangements are mostly sparse, allowing her voice to breathe. There’s a subtle bit of percussion on “Enjoy The Ride” as she heads full soul ahead, and “Love Yourself” carries a quiet message of self-care that feels all the more personal in this setting. “Silhouette In A Sunset” is as graceful as it sounds, while “Hate That I Love You” feels raw and vulnerable in this stripped-back form. Elles even takes to the piano herself for “Let It Burn”, making it one of the set’s most intimate moments.
And then there’s “Truth Is Gonna Save Us” and the upbeat “Who Needs The Weather” – the latter not even on the original album, which underlines just how strong her songwriting is.
Frankly, if Elles Bailey sang a shopping list, it would sound gorgeous. There’s an element of that timeless quality here, and in another era these versions might have made perfect B-sides – another thing the internet’s taken from us. But whatever your view of modern times, one thing’s certain: “Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined” is quite superb.
