And that brings us to Delusions of Grandeur, the delightfully named debut LP from Bailey's The Salient Braves. A Barnsley-based band consisting of Bailey, Johny Nocash and Neil Ritchie, with some backing vocals by Dani, they provide the perfect support for Bailey's stories. We could go on at great length about the song quality, but you can stream the album for yourself, and read the lyrics on the Bandcamp page. However, just to give you a flavor, consider the brilliant opening lines, such as the following from album opener "Somewhere Sordid":
Why don't you tell me another lieOr take the complaint of the miscreant protagonist of "Guilty Until Proved Innocent":
like the one you did last night?
you know I bought it
and do you know that contagious disease
you brought back from your visit to Greece?
I think I've caught it
You saw me standing there
running my fingers through my hair
a poseur without a care venue?
Somewhere sordid
Well I was doing nothing wrong I was....And you must try "They Must Have Seen Me Coming", which begins with 'Have you ever seen a grown man cry?'
just hanging around there for too long
until the boys in blue came along oh no!
the arm of the law was strong
threw me into a cell and then proceeded
to throw the book at me as well
my mother said I'd never learn
and now the wheels of justice slowly turn
The legal system's crooked and all the coppers are bent
so I am presumed guilty until proven innocent
Actually, you must try them all. This is one of our favorite indie pop albums of the year, packed with terrific melodies and sincere performances. You don't acquire music like Delusions of Grandeur because it is on top of the pop charts or because it reflects current styles. You acquire music like Delusions of Grandeur because it is a sincere package of humanity, styled with poignancy and humor, that will give you satisfaction now and for years to come. The album is out now via Broken Down Records. See the Bandcamp link for details and a highly recommended stream of the album.
Live performance of "Bankok":
Bandcamp for Delusions of Grandeur
No comments:
Post a Comment