Another unknown artist on my plate today : Glyn Bailey.
He announces himself to be a singer songwriter on the short bio he sent me. He also says that there is one odd thing about him and that is the fact that his themes are a little different from the standard singer songwriters.
The first title seems very different : "Sorry (She Went Down On Me, But I Thought Of You)". Glyn describes the situation where a man falls in between partners, where he can not part from his wife while he can not stop thinking about his mistress... Quite hard and confronting, but definitely deeply rooted into reality. Next is how a kid must feel and is torn between parents as a choice is being forced upon him / her. Even more realistic and very actual in our society. I am not sure, but I start to think divorce must be a real theme to Glyn Bailey. "East & West" is haunting and cruel, choking the listener as if he were the victim... and all of this gift wrapped in the format of a rock ballad. And the third track is all about the constant threat of a partner to leave the other, the complaining of being a victim of what is often called "a mind-fuck" while one could ask himself in the end who is manipulating and abusing who...The song, the music and the singing remind me strongly of Bowie. On the next track "L'Humanité" he swirls to a complete different theme, that of politics and ideology. All of it is wrapped in the format of a travel tale, a "fait divers" of a trip to France... This song even sounds a bit as a French tune, a little 'musette'. Back to love, divorce, failure and discontent in "She Says She Says". It is all about how love can turn off, go bad, become sour and a drag to those who endure it while they spread their love across the other. Love grows in unwanted directions while we are misguided by initial appearance. "Missing" is about a love that is gone, lost... The despair of the person left, the feeling of having lost part of oneself. Time no longer runs forward, memories are enveloping every object... Sorry always comes too late and it hurts beyond imagination, beyond comprehension. The seventh track reminds me heavily of late 70's rock extravaganza. Space Rock is back and Queen's Flash Gordon is still listened to. Back to reality, back to another face of love, the disease called jealousy. This track could have been featured on any Nick Cave album and as well on the score of David Lynch's "Lost Highway". This is exactly how jealousy works and can become a dangerous emotion feeding upon the self-fulfilling prophecy. From there on Glyn Bailey starts a series of tracks that are more like the ones he promised : more bizarre themes yet full of great views, thoughts, ideas, reflections, ... Intriguing views upon reality and figments of one's imagination. "Flowers Everywhere" could have been made by "The Kinks" or another beat group in the 60's, "A Dream of Laurel and Hardy" really resonates the spirit of Bowie somehow.
Musically the CD is mainly consisting of Rock and a lot of possible inspirations come to mind upon listening to Glyn Bailey. Some of them being T-Rex, Aphrodite's Child, Queen, Warren Zevon, Nick Cave and mostly David Bowie.
This CD is simply exquisite and full of great tracks, solid rock that excels in good play, composition and atmosphere. Lyrics are fresh, intriguing and often very recognisable. There are clearly two sides to Glyn Bailey : that of a hyper-realistic singer songwriter, deeply rooted into everyday life and emotions and as well that of a slightly eccentric and extravagant psychedelic imaginative weirdo. Often both go together and you just get two different sides of 1 personality : an optimistic joyous side and a more pessimistic cynical emotional guy.
I strongly recommend this CD and personally think it is one of the best singer songwriter CDs I received over the past few months from independent and unknown artists. What a debut ! As far as I am concerned sooner is still too late for this guy to be taken to a wider audience.