Are the Brits “critics” so intent on trying to make “guitar music” a thing? Is that why he won the award?
Because really, James Bay is nothing but an average acoustic
troubadour. He’s the annoying guy at a music festival who insists on wearing a
hipster hat, refuses to wash his hair for weeks and sings tired love songs
around a campfire at 5am whilst you’re trying to sleep after coming down from
the euphoric highs of the dance stage.
He’s a walking cliché.
So, too, is his music. ‘Chaos And The Calm’ is an amalgam of
every other acoustic songwriter you’ve ever heard, fusing together bits of
rock, folk and blues in one easy-listening package that quickly grates on the
ears. Throw in a hefty dose of Coldplay, Passenger, Damien Rice and John Mayer
specifically and you’ve created yourself the Frankenstein monstrosity that is
James Bay.
To be fair, Bay does have talent: there’s power to his raw
vocals, accompanied by some nifty fingerpicking. It leads to some moments where
he does manage to rise above mediocrity. Current single Hold Back The River
proves there is some radio appeal, although Let It Go is the real
early-album highlight – gently lilting guitar beneath a yearning melody of
genuine emotion. Collide is also a rare moment of upbeat excitement, all
handclaps and bluesy guitars. At the least, the full band arrangements are more
interesting than the usual “intimate” song settings.
Yet Bay falls short with his songwriting. There are few
hooks, few intriguing or poetic lyrics. Instead it’s fifteen identical songs of
utter, personality-less blandness. It’s no wonder he’s essentially known as
“that one with the hat”. Nothing else differentiates him from his peers.
Nothing else about him stands out at all. It’s a shame that his talent has been
stretched into such an underwhelming collection of songs.
So I ask again, why did he win the Brits Critics Choice
Award? And above Years and Years?
Last year’s winner was a boring guy with a piano and a silly haircut. Now we have a boring guy with a guitar and a silly hat. What could be
next?
2/5
Gizzle’s Choice:
* Hold Back The River
* Let It Go
* Collide
Listen: ‘Chaos And The Calm’ is available now.
