James Bay
Chaos and the Calm

For at least a decade, England has been producing young artists capable of composing music, playing it (and playing it well with multiple instruments), and writing acceptable lyrics: all this without being legitimized by talent shows (damn them!) and often managing to achieve success, even beyond the borders of their origin country.

I'm talking about people like Nutini, Sheeran, Sam Smith, Adele, to name a few.

These are street singer-songwriters, forged by tough gigs, mostly discovered during one of their many performances; James Bay, born in 1990, was playing in a smoky pub in London when he was heard by an A&R representative of an American record label: the next day he signed his first contract. It was 2012; from 2013 to 2014, he released some EPs, opened for concerts of artists like Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones, receiving great acclaim. In 2015 he debuted with Chaos and the Calm.

I listen to the album without expecting much, but I'm immediately struck by the dry guitar riff of Craving, the opening track; the guitar, well-played by Bay, is accompanied by a decisive drum in a country-rock style that borrows something from the melody of the very famous Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Bay sings well, not with a technique resulting from extraordinary natural talents or academic study, but with a strong desire to show off the skills acquired on the field by exploiting a natural soul-rock timbre.

Next is Hold Back the River, and at this point, I am convinced that the guy knows his stuff: the song is a tasty modern, minimal R&B, supported initially by electric guitar and drums, it opens in a crescendo becoming rhythmic and gospel. A truly beautiful and evocative piece.

Best Fake Smile is a simple, rhythmic rock n' roll, revolving around another beautiful electric guitar riff with the flavor of The Who: as with the opening track, even in this case, the interpretation of the song, despite the ancient inspiration, is not vintage but appears modern and personal. Perhaps it is this very advantage of Bay, being able to express himself personally, despite moving on ancient musical ground.

Move Together is a beautiful slow R&B, with acoustic guitar and piano guiding the melody and Bay's beautiful voice that here expresses itself best with its deeply soulful texture.

Collide and Get Out While You Can are two fast, powerful tracks: the first is a strange rock, a bit funky, a bit rockabilly, with perfectly intertwined guitars and Hammond; the second is a classic arena rock, which in the harmonic progression reminds not a little of Born to Run (Springsteen is definitely one of the references for the young musician) while maintaining its autonomy from the cited model.

Scars and Incomplete are two stunning ballads: the first, in my opinion the most beautiful track, a gospel-soul, voice and electric guitar, brings to skin the emotion of the great ballads of the genre, a cross between Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles in modern key; the second, acoustic, with a very folk flavor, minimal, closes the album leaving the sensation of having listened to something beautiful.

Beauty, increasingly absent in today's music, packaged only for commercial success.

Beauty nonetheless capable of also achieving commercial success, not just remaining a niche: which is always a good thing for music.