James Bay is an English singer-songwriter who saw some massive success in 2014-2015 when he broke with huge singles like “Let It Go” and “Hold Back the River,” the former of which actually charted not only in his home country but here in America, as it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ended at #44 on the Year-End Hot 100 in 2016. Those singles led up to the album “Chaos and the Calm,” an album that overcame some less-than-stellar critical reviews to reach #15 on the Billboard 200 and receive a Gold certification here in America. After a few years sort of reeling in that success, he returned earlier this year and released two new singles “Wild Love” and “Pink Lemonade” as the lead-ins to this record.
Now, honestly, “Let It Go” (not to be confused with the song from “Frozen,” by the way) is basically the whole reason I’m covering this album: I didn’t listen to “Chaos and the Calm” in its entirety, but “Let It Go” is a song that I absolutely adore, and it so happens that I really started to enjoy it more and more right after I heard that James was releasing singles for this album. So, even though I’m relatively inexperienced with his music, morbid curiosity got the best of me and made me want to give this record a shot. Let’s see if it delivers, shall we?
Intro: It’s a one-minute long, spoken-word intro between Nick Seltine and Ashley Jones, as they discuss the uneasiness of their relationship. There’s not much to say about it other than that it starts off the album and leads nicely into the next track. Yeah, that’s all I can say.
Wasted on Each Other: The first real “song” on the album, James talks about a relationship that he can’t get enough of, and the high that comes with it. Maybe it’s new to me because I’ve only heard “Let It Go,” but this song has a harder, more rocking feel to it. There are some very cool guitar riffs on this one, some neat open-close hi-hat moments, and it’s got a somewhat bouncy feel to it. I do think James has nice vocals, but there are some filters on his voice here that don’t really allow him to fully show them off. Still, it’s got a decent hook and, while I’m sure it won’t be the best song on the album, it’s not bad.
Pink Lemonade: On this track, James talks about the feeling of needing to escape without exactly knowing why, or how to feel. It’s actually got a somewhat sprightlier, funkier, more electronic feel to it than the last song, and it feels somewhat retro, honestly. It’s fast-paced and somewhat fun, and it’s got some really sweet guitar riffs, but I honestly don’t find it really sticking with me. Maybe I just need to give it a few more listens, but right now, it’s just alright.
Wild Love: Back to the relationship songs, this one sees James talking about a desire to be in the best, most carefree relationship that he could possibly be in, over a more filtered, electronic-influenced instrumental. It’s got a very smooth, moody vibe to it, and the electronic instrumentals do sound very nice. I do like James' vocals on this one, but I once again feel the filters are robbing him of showing off his true potential. Still, it’s a sweet, nice-sounding song, and it might grow on me with a few more listens.
Us: Another more light track with something of a gospel influence, this one sees James talking about someone he loves, and how he believes in the two of them. It’s got a very beautiful piano melody, and James does come through with some great vocals here. It does feel somewhat reminiscent of several other songs (I’m thinking “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith), but it’s got a nice, very pretty vibe to it and I can honestly see myself coming back to it in the future.
In My Head: Here, James talks about how he's so obsessed with a love interest of his that he wants to get her in his head until he can’t forget her. I once again like the somewhat gospel-inspired feel of this track, and it does have a very pretty sound to it, but my big problem with it is that it just feels a bit too experimental, to the point where it’s really not all that coherent. Same goes for James and his vocals, he sounds nice for the most part, but once again, some weird filters don’t quite allow him to really explore his vocal potential. It certainly sounds nice, but it’s not the best song on the album.
Interlude: Nick and Ashley from “Intro” continue their discussion here, and again, I really don’t have much to say about it. Without a visual component, the track just feels out-of-place, to be completely honest. It’s there, and that’s all I can say.
Just for Tonight: This song sees James take on something of a country feel, and it’s about James wanting to be with someone just for one night. It’s fast-paced and rather vibrant, and I do think the song is very head-noddy thanks to its fun drum and tambourine beats. James once again sounds nice, and the hook on here isn’t too bad, but I once again wish his vocals weren’t as filtered as they are because it feels like it’s taking away some of his charm as a singer. It’s still a pretty decent track, though.
Wanderlust: Going back to the more rocking feel, similar in ways to “Pink Lemonade,” James discusses how he didn’t want to travel without his love interest, but his desires to travel got the best of him. I like the fast-paced feel of the song, and the beat is very strong here. There’s not really much of a hook on this one, but it’s a nice infusion of what feels like several different styles and it might grow on me with a few more listens.
I Found You: Once again, we have another love song, where James talks about how much he can’t believe that he met this love interest of his. It’s a song that takes things slower, with a more soulful, doo-wop feel, and James does show that he has some pretty decent, somewhat raw vocals that mesh nicely with the beat of this cut. Not really much of a hook here, but it’s a decent little track with some cool, weird sonic ideas going on.
Sugar Drunk High: A song about young love, this one goes back to the more country-flavored feel that James went for on “Just for Tonight.” While James shows off some nice vocals, I can’t help but feel like I’ve heard this kind of song too many times before (like I said last night during my review of Snow Patrol’s album, I can’t help but shake the U2 “Songs of Experience” vibes on this one). It’s not a terrible-sounding song, but it just feels somewhat bland compared to the rest of the album.
Stand Up: Lyrically, I find this song to be one that’s a bit more empowering, as it feels like a song about being a child, but being unafraid to embrace your childlike nature. It also feels like he’s trying to say “don’t be a statistic” on the hook. Interesting, I haven’t heard a lot of songs that specifically say that. It’s a faster-paced, more electronic song, and admittedly, this one does have one of the better hooks on the album. That said, it just feels a little too bland on the whole, and given that genius.com says that the song is “avant-garde,” I definitely expected it to be a little bit more experimental. It’s not bad, it’s just not all that captivating.
Fade Out: James mixes R&B with psychedelic on here, as he sings about someone who only loves him in the dark when no one else is around. It’s admittedly got a very atmospheric and relaxed feel to it, and I think the production is some of the best on the record. This might also be one of the first times on this album where I’m fine with James' vocals being more filtered because they mesh well with the instrumentals. It’s a slow-paced jam that I can see myself coming back to quite a bit in the future.
Slide: Ending the record, James talks about how we all need to love one another, and how we all need someone to hold and care for. It’s a very light, piano-driven ballad that feels kind of closer to something you’d hear on his first album (like “Let It Go”), and given the more raw feel of the song, I appreciate that James didn’t filter his vocals, because they sound very nice on this one. No, it’s not quite enough to save the record or anything like that, but it is a nice song that wraps up the album solidly.
Overall, I can kind of see the problem some critics had with this album. I can’t really compare it to his first record, but if you’re like me and you know James Bay only from “Let It Go,” I wouldn’t really recommend jumping right into this album. It doesn’t really sound too bad, but I feel like it doesn’t really explore his vocal potential all that much, and it doesn’t really have much coherence. With “Intro” and “Interlude,” I think James tries to lead us to believe that this album has an overarching theme or story of some kind, but it really doesn’t. It’s an album of mostly love songs, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, none of the songs feel all that spectacular.
Inferring from the little bit that I’ve heard of James’ first album “Chaos and the Calm,” which was largely just folk-rock/soft rock, it feels like James tries here to dip his toes into several different styles, but he never really settles into just one. He tries some more retro-sounding rock, a little hard-rock, lighter ballads, gospel songs, and even some doo-wop, but he fails to really stick the landing in one particular field, and kind of just does each one in a “just okay” kind of way. It’s unfortunate because I did want to love this album, but I just don’t see myself coming back to it all that much in the future.
Favorite tracks: Us, Fade Out, Slide
Least favorite tracks: Sugar Drunk High
Rating: Okay
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