Shadowplay webzine - June 2005

Glyn Bailey 'Toys From Balsa'
Despite its luxurious gold press release and amusing song titles, ('The Plastic Bag Song (Facts)') Glyn Bailey's self-released debut is a little disappointing.

As Glyn puts it in his covering letter 'I designed it like a box of chocolates, dark and light, with a mixture of flavours, and if you don't like one try the next as they're all different'. The trouble with this tactic (which is actually carried out on record rather than just some wank to say listen past the first track) is that it detracts from the continuity of the (pretty lengthy) album and, on a larger scale, can split fanbases. But let's look at the content.

We have pure pub-rock like the dodgy opener 'Sorry (She went down on me but I thought about you)', dark electronica in '...Laurel and Hardy' and the manifestation of the numerous Bowie references on 'Plastic Bag...'; it's true he does sound like the glorious and timeless iguana.

The album as a whole is a bit patchy, a lot of emphasis seems to have been put on the attempted ironic shuffle of 'Friends (John and Yoko in Bed)', which feels quite unfocussed, and it's difficult to see when you'd be in the mood for this all at once.

Good stuff and he does sound like Bowie, I'll hand him that.

©Alex Lawson - Shadowplay fanzine/webzine