REVIEW: Chaos and the Calm//James Bay - This Could Be the One

4.5/5 Stars

Waves to Watch: If You Ever Want To Be In Love, When We Were On Fire

Genre: Indie rock, folk

Goes great with: George Ezra, Ella Henderson, Jake Bugg

In an era where any artist can slap the singer-songwriter label on their chest, James Bay has managed to escape the snare that holds the hoards of "starving" musicians. A slick portrait straight off a 70's folk-rock vinyl release, Bay scrapes at the sound of the aforementioned decade with his 21st century claws. His Chaos and the Calm (Republic) tells his story up until now - as any debut will do - with an honest, yet sentimental smile on its face.

Each of the twelve songs - a blend of new and EP's past - sounds as if it should be predictable, but none are in the slightest. Sure, it is obvious what aim Bay has image-wise, but he plays it all out more shrewdly than his fellow British counterparts. Bay has a knack for one-liners that you can't believe no one has pulled out of their six string before, as he nearly speaks in the minimalistic "Scars", "I need an hour just to say hello."

The most empathetic of these thoughts, "So alone I can taste it", falls within "When We Were On Fire", the moody track tinged with Carly Simon-esque crooning. It's almost impossible to believe that this is Bay's full-length debut, as a budding artist is almost never this in touch with himself.

Bay gave a taste of the promise land he had in store for both listeners and himself on four EPs, released throughout 2013 and 2014, particularly with November's "Hold Back the River". The track sounds like a river in itself, a more gospel brushstroke on a Jeff Buckley release. He asks for the chance to wander, while "Move Together" is an empty bed's cry for a lover while looking at the black night sky.

"Best Fake Smile" and "Craving" are the upbeat movers of the album, the former showcasing Bay's raspy vocal control, along with his dichotomy of bouncy sentimentality. "Get Out While You Can" sets him apart from his fellow up-and-coming peers, brandishing his ability to formulate a Brit-rock  - or even Springsteen - anthem in an unformulated way.

The album's strongest, "If You Ever Want To Be In Love", is perhaps the biggest ode to the 70's. It captures the thought everyone has, but no one ever says out loud, except for Bay in his raw whine, of course. The bridge, in all of its howling earnestness, is the best moment on the entire album.

It is nearly unfeasible to pinpoint the worst song out of the twelve, but "Collide" is the weakest. It's good, with all of it's edgy electric guitar flicks, but not good by this album's standards.

Bay still can do what indie singer-songwriters can do best: throw in a few dreamy ballads. "Need the Sun To Break" is simply one of the album's highest highs, as well as a beginning of an end realization. He speaks much of "you" on Chaos, but in "Let It Go", he promises that "I'll be me", on top of a sweet guitar drowning in a few minor chords. The closer, "Incomplete", is a final imperfectly perfect need for a connection. But, for Bay, there's still time.

Chaos is never hectic or thrown together; it is contrived with such a keen eye that Bay cannot be ignored. If he can continue to string eras along in his sound, he is a slick force that will keep answering his own questions on each release. In the chaotically calm Bay, the night may have finally found the voice it has been looking for.

//Angelia//