Glyn Bailey's sixth album is a labour of love which has no aspirations towards fame or fortune. All tracks are downloadable for free from Bandcamp and only a limited number of CDs are available to buy. Bailey is originally from North East England but now lives in Spain.
The record is as an obvious homage to David Bowie, with Bailey's sombre croon being a passable imitation of his musical hero. To no great surprise, his other listed influences include Scott Walker, Nick Cave, The Beatles, Jacques Brel and John Grant.
The album's title reflects the strong devotional spirit of the songs. Although there are no overt religious references, The Light and Serenity suggest a devout faith in a cosmic order - "I have seen death, there is nothing to fear", he sings on the former.
Muse's Rules has a hymnal quality and not only because it feature a church organ. The Beechwood Choir are present on this and on many of the songs including ,Where, in which Bailey is on a quest to "find the prettiest church in the kingdom" where prayers can be said in his honor.
|
Bailey wrote and sings all ten tracks but plays no instruments. Musical contributions are divided between twelve individuals with arrangements supervised by guitarist and bassist Philip Maxwell Senior. The emphasis is more on an orchestral pop flavor than anything rock orientated.
The one song that the album seems most in tune is 'When I Live My Dream' from Bowie's eponymous first album way back in 1967. This slice of whimsy seems best to reflect the magical musical kingdom that Bailey seeks to create and very much on the same wavelength as the Alice in Wonderland-like sentiment expressed in Marswalkers that "Life is an illusion".
Glyn Bailey's website
|
