Elles Bailey “Beneath the Neon Glow”

A poignant, perfectly formed collection of powerful songs.

“Beneath the Neon Glow” is many things to multi-award-winning Elles Bailey. Having released her first three studio albums as an independent artist, Bailey recognised that she was “a victim, in all the best ways, of her own success” and that to be able to fully concentrate on writing, recording and performing “without worrying about shifting boxes of records” she needed the support of a label. Signed to Cooking Vinyl towards the end of 2023, “Beneath the Neon Glow” is Bailey’s fourth studio album and her first release as a signed artist. However, she makes the point that she already had the album written before she was signed, thus assuring her loyal fans that this album is, together with her various co-writers, all her. With reference to the title, Bailey explains how she loves the idea of a neon glow and being “Beneath the Neon Glow” is, to her, “all the hidden things that you try to keep down and put in their place. It’s the chaos beneath what everyone else sees”. It is fitting, therefore, since this is an album of very personal highs and lows.

Opening with the last song written for the album, ‘Enjoy the Ride‘, with its lively, distinct KT Tunstall vibe, promises energy and positivity with an autobiographical lyric about Bailey’s journey as a musician—a journey to be enjoyed since she says,  there is no destination. When talking about this song, Bailey uses Taylor Swift as an example and how she gets to be the biggest artist in the world, but that’s not good enough, so she continues to move the goalposts in the industry.

‘The Ballad of a Broken Dream‘ is perhaps one of Bailey’s most personal songs on the album. A singer-songwriter’s lament, a male in the case of the song, it is a deep and complex tale in which “your minds your enemy“. Written several years ago, Bailey said then that she would never record it and no one would ever hear it. However, it was the first song she did in pre-production for this album. It is a heart-rendering story with, ironically, a catchy vibe. The melody is attractively thoughtful and features some beautiful piano pieces. Whilst Bailey vows the specifics of the story will never be shared, she does admit that it is about a particular individual but says that given there is no denying that there is a connection between a musical creative path and the mental toll it can take, it could have been written about any number of people you see playing in bars to nobody, which is a very sobering concept.

The bright chorus to ‘Leave the Light On‘ implies an upbeat situation in which the content of the verses cleverly contrasts. Enjoying the best of both worlds with a selfish life on the road whilst acknowledging the pain and heartache it can lead to for a partner left at home. It is another well-written song with a hugely catchy melody.

A fabulously groovy hippie vibe presides over the throw-back ‘1972’, the lyrics to which say it all about the world before social media: “Music was better/lovers wrote letters/Cola came in glass bottles/and polaroids stuck on the fridge/Atlas maps open the dash for trips/Blue bell-bottoms and platforms did the trick…where the only distraction is looking at you… talk to each other like they used to do/living like it’s 1972”
Next up, ‘Silhouette in a Sunset‘ is a beautifully moving ballad about old friends. The sensitive combination of Bailey’s subtly raspy voice, the gorgeous piano, and the excellent electric guitar gives goosebumps. In fact, to quote a beautiful line from the song, “… I got to catch my breath at the wonder of it all”

‘The Truth Ain’t Gonna Save Us‘ is a lively, honest breakup song, and whilst there is a sadness in the lyrics, there is a truthful urgency in the melody to: “The truth ain’t gonna save us/but it will set us free/I’m setting us free“.

‘If This is Love‘ is another breakup song. This time, it is a little more sinister, given it tells of breaking away from an unhappy, controlling relationship. The bold, defiant attitude, both musically and lyrically, culminates with an ending that includes the poignant line, “But when I look back on you, I know that I dodged a bullet“.

A master at writing breakup songs, Bailey’s next version is perfectly ethereal. ‘Let it Burn’ is a brutally sad, reluctant realisation that a relationship is over. With soaring musicality and exquisite backing vocals, passion and longing course through this song, demonstrating the succinct yet eloquent way Bailey has with her writing.

‘Love Yourself‘ is a strong message to anyone down on their luck & perhaps finding solace in alcohol. The fundamental yet effective advice to “Take a look in the mirror/I wish you could see what we see…there ain’t nothing that you can’t be/First you gotta learn how to love/Learn how to love yourself” is delivered purposefully. Again, the musicianship and backing vocals are suitably superb and the whole attitude in the song is of encouragement.

The album closes with ‘Turn Off The News‘, an incredibly moving song that is so universally relatable it doesn’t need explanation. It is stunningly performed. The gentle yet powerful melody is utterly captivating, whilst the painfully raw lyrics reach deep but, just sometimes, hurt too much. The last line of the first verse is either an extraordinarily personal or an unnecessarily painful reference relating to a gun crime.

Without a doubt, immortalising lost loved ones in songs can be incredibly healing for the singer-songwriter as well as the listener, but, and it may not be a commonly held opinion, a reference to “those seven children were not born for the bullet” seems just too graphic. Hopefully, it enhances the appeal of this otherwise charming song, but something suggests it may just be too heart-wrenching. Don’t let that put you off listening, though. Make your own mind up!