The plagues: locusts, frogs, darkness, singer-songwriters…
The numbers, of course, are nothing to do with James Bay. In fact, he’s one of the more recognisable guitar-toting troubadours out there thanks to a nifty industry push - Brit Critics’ Choice winner, BBC Sound of 2015 runner up - and that signature wide-brimmed hat.
His debut, ‘Chaos and the Calm’, is set to emphatically back up that faith. It’s pretty much a lock for #1 in the UK, while Bay’s live shows are the very definition of a hot ticket. But, it’s not a record likely to trouble you much beyond the initial impression that it’s nicely executed and absolutely beige.
Bay’s lyrics paint with broad strokes, aiming for inclusivity rather than depth of feeling, while his more successful melodies are swallowed up by the glistening production of Jacquire King, a man who knows a thing or two about putting together huge-sounding pop-rock records.
It’s telling that the few highlights on ‘Chaos and the Calm’ arrive when Bay is given a little more room to breathe. Let It Go has an unmistakable whiff of Ed Sheeran about it but trades in a neat guitar riff and sweet chorus hook, while Scars, underpinned by a subtle organ line, has a smoky charm. Hold Back The River, the single that introduced Bay to many, remains the finest example of his more expressive side.
There are missed opportunities, too. If You Ever Want To Be In Love ditches a verse strut that could have belonged to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in the late ‘70s in favour of a formulaic chorus and Craving, the opener, finds Bay’s voice straining at the leash but never breaking free of its Coldplay b-side stomp.
There is a sense throughout that Bay is still chiseling away at his own sound and identity despite being in the full glare of the spotlight. On ‘Chaos and the Calm’ his songs have been buffed and polished to a level of grandeur and self-importance that they aren’t able to carry. A classic case of too much too soon, or the start of a blockbuster career? There’s already money down on the latter, but time will tell.
James Bay Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue April 07 2015 - PORTSMOUTH Portsmouth Pyramids
Wed April 08 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Thu April 09 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Sat April 11 2015 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sun April 12 2015 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Metropolitan Univerity
Tue April 14 2015 - GLASGOW O2 ABC
Wed April 15 2015 - EDINBURGH Queens Hall Edinburgh
Thu April 16 2015 - SHEFFIELD Leadmill
Sat April 18 2015 - BIRMINGHAM Institute
Sun April 19 2015 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Mon April 20 2015 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Thu July 16 2015 - LONDON Somerset House
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