Elles Bailey

It takes either remarkable courage, or remarkable stupidity, to re-record a top selling and award winning album, just voice and piano.
Elles Bailey shows real courage on this, and, to the ears of this reviewer, it is an absolute triumph.

Bailey’s voice and Jonny Henderson’s piano – that’s it, nowhere to hide and it shows - both Elles’ voice and Jonny’s piano playing at their best.
All the original numbers are here as well as a couple that weren’t on the original album – ‘Hate That I Love You’ and ‘Who Needs The Weather’.

So, why is it a triumph?
The songs are revealed in all their naked glory. ‘Ballad Of A Broken Dream’ gains an extra layer of pathos. Bailey’s voice gains extra dynamics and she puts the words over with real feeling and emotion.
Same goes for ‘Turn Off The News’ where the slow and sonorous piano underpins a heart-wrenching vocal. On the original album there is less of an emotional impact – the starkness of the voice and piano on the new version emphasising the desperate story in the song.
‘1972’ gets a Memphis soul tone to it, ‘Enjoy The Ride’ (with producer Peter Miles on shaker) feels like a careering trip through life – the simple sound adding an element of risk.
My favourite number is ‘Leave The Light On’ where the beauty of the song emerges in a number that really sings to the pressures of a touring musician – again, the piano and voice suits the song brilliantly.
‘Let It Burn’ has Bailey on piano as well as vocals, and it becomes even more simple and stark – incredibly affective as well as haunting.
The two ‘new’ songs are clearly out of the BTNG sessions. ‘Hate That I Love You’ is a superb song and sums up the feelings of so many of us whose heroes have feet of claggiest merde. ‘Who Needs The Weather’ is more upbeat and I’d like to hear it with a full band.

This isn’t just an adjunct to the original album, it stands alone as a piece and as such, it’s a grand release.