It was a freezing cold Saturday night. Gigs had resumed a couple of months prior, and I was sitting in what amounted to a church pew in Lichfield, watching Elles Bailey.
I had never seen her before. I had been told how good she was, and she certainly lived up to that reputation that night. But it’s not that which stuck in my head from that night.
Rather, it’s this: she disappeared offstage at the end of her set, ready to prepare for an encore. She had actually danced out of the room. The vagaries of the venue were such that she ended up standing in a corridor outside, where I happened to see her.
She was out of the view of most for about a minute. In that time, she never stopped dancing and smiling,
It was enough to convince me that there is no side to Elles. She’s just like the rest of us; she loves music.
There are, however, two key differences between “us” and Elles Bailey. We may love music. Elles, though, can sing like a gift from whichever God you choose and write brilliant songs.
Which brings us to “Beneath The Neon Glow,” her fourth album. Number three (the brilliant “Shining In The Half Light”) was a leap forward. This? Well, this is sensational.
“Enjoy The Ride,” she sings on the country blues opener, but here’s the thing: in the chorus, she sings, “There’s only dreams to “realize” and that’s what “….Glow” feels like.
There’s a song here, “Ballad Of A Broken Dream” that is as fine an example of storytelling in music that you’ll find. The characters are worthy of Springsteen, but maybe, just maybe, she’s reminding herself of what might happen if the dream turns sour? More importantly in the context of the review, it’s the best thing she’s done by an absolute mile.
Another of the tasters she’s put out “Leave A Light On” might share its title with Belinda Carlisle but its smooth almost Americana is entirely Elles.
And so is “1972”. I can relate. Born in the mid-70s myself I’ve always had the thought I was born too late. Bailey, though, she funks it up here and let’s be honest, it’s not hard to imagine her in Laurel Canyon, hanging out with Joni Mitchell at the best of times. She absolutely belongs there now.
Because she has a brilliant band, and her voice is an instrument in itself, she’s able to take the album in myriad ways. Whether it’s the reflection of “Silhouette In A Sunset”, or the perfect Fleetwood Mac-ish harmonies of “Truth Ain’t Gonna Save Us”, it just sounds right.
Produced by Dan Weller, who has worked with every up-and-coming rock band right now (and helped put Those Damn Crows in arenas), seems to have pushed everyone on. “If This Is Love” has a bit of a “wall of sound” about the way the chorus explodes, and there’s a dark side to the piano foundations of “Let It Burn”, but it also underlines the ambition here.
“Love Yourself” is a beautiful thing. Not least in its sentiment, but also as an example of the warmth of the album as a whole. It is perfect.
And the last one, “Turn Off The News,” is like a welcoming hug. And Lord knows, shutting the world out and immersing yourself in music is never a bad thing, but especially so now.
Yet, it’s records like this, made by people like this, that almost offer hope. Hope that there is a better way, and a reminder, too, that real life isn’t reflected in the violence on the news, but instead in the vulnerability, the love, and the skill of these songs.
“Beneath The Neon Glow” is more of a flashing neon sign in 20-foot-high letters that screams utter brilliance.
Rating 9.5/10
REVIEW: ELLES BAILEY – BENEATH THE NEON GLOW (2024)
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