To celebrate the release of her acclaimed new album, “Can’t Take My Story Away,” the multi-award-winning Bristol bluethroat ELLES BAILEY hand-pressed a single vinyl copy herself at Packaged Sounds in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.
After signing and dating this individual cut, the musician returned the record to the production line, a move that initiated an exceptional journey for the vinyl.
That same remarkable disc was later discovered more than 5,000 miles away, in Arizona. The fan who’d received it was unaware that they possessed a one-of-a-kind, artist-made artifact, and had participated in an incredible album story. Amidst the rise of instant streaming and fleeting musical trends, this single act of liberation in an over-conglomerated and ultra-homogenized world of instant sound has resonated in the minds of music fans everywhere!
“Physical music isn’t just a collector’s item,” Elles said. “It’s a way for fans to truly stand behind the music… and for artists to keep building on their own terms.”
Consider this to be
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acoustic butter lotion…
a treat for your soul!
The grassroots connection that Elles has made with the faithful devotees of her independently created back-to-basics roots revival sound has resulted in impressive commercial success for the British singer-songwriter. “Can’t Take My Story Away” has achieved top rankings, reaching #1 on both the Record Store Chart and the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart, alongside #5 on the Official Album Sales Chart and #14 on the overall Official Albums Chart. The rare success of this independent release was largely fueled by vinyl and physical sales!
“Can’t Take My Story Away” (produced by Luke Potashnick —a well-know guitarist who has collaborated with Cat Stevens, James Blunt, One Republic, Ben’s Brother etc) — and recorded with a stellar lineup of musicians that included the renowned Ethan Johns —Staves, Vaccines, Laura Marling et al— was developed over three years, with compositions stretching back a decade, to provide an authentic stripped-back view of Elle’s personal and heartfelt narrative.
The determinedly independent singer-songwriter has been steadily developing her talent for much of her musical journey. Across a superbly conceived album, Elle’s captivating voice (we’ve described it as a “honeystone and chokecherry”) recounts stories of conquering challenges, building resilience, facing varied expectations, and finding new beginnings. Each listener will discover spiritual freedom in these songs as the artist delves into core human emotions, aiming to seek connections that illuminate profound truths and explore genuine human experiences. With passion and keen honesty, Elles connects with every person in her global audience.
Can’t Take My Story Away album review:
“Growing Roots” offers a series of brave beats that envelope the husky rust of Elles’ vocals. The mellowed organ, the pleasant percussion, and a subtle yet very valuable guitar solo offer value, but this song is definitely all about the blue fox fruitfulness of Elles’ smooth-grained delivery.
“Take A Step Back” (video shared below) grabs your collar and hauls you along for a ride! At times Elles’ song-voice is jaggy and saxy, at other times it’s silk-like and seamless as a chemise. The velvety high-hearted chorus is a plea to take a breather (or maybe take a load off) and we probably all need that sort of advice in this hectic grabbing world. Luke Potashnick deserves special praise for his incredible guitar work, which ricochets through the song about two-thirds of the way in. His rough pushing gives the piece a set of nervous jidders!
seamless as a chemise…
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“Better Days” is pleasantly slow and comes across as a smooth dark blue indulgence. It features subtle rhythms, a soft organ, and mellow brass. Despite its serene and richly polished sound, the song offers significant insights into staying resilient through the most challenging periods of life. Consider this to be acoustic butter lotion and a treat for your soul!
…a smooth dark blue indulgence, featuring subtle rhythms, soft organ, and mellow brass...
The song “Angel” is slick and driven, with lyrics that celebrate a person’s intuition, encouraging listeners to heed their inner feelings during life’s most isolating and vulnerable moments; which may be when self-awareness is felt the strongest.
Title track, “Can’t Take My Story Away” is a balanced and unhurried song, a ballad-serenade, featuring rich blue notes, a gentle acoustic guitar, and a developing sense of soulful confidence.
With every repeat play, this album reveals more incredible richness, new textures, and enchanting phrases…
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With every repeat play, this album reveals more incredible richness, new textures, and enchanting phrases. Beyond Elles’ expected moonstone georgette vocals, credit is also due to the gifted Delilah Johns, Izzie Yardley, and Georgina Johns for their sumptuous background harmonies, and to Richard Causon’s heartfelt keyboard work, the trumpets of Laura Jurd and Neil Sugarman, and the entire team who deserve commendation for their splendidly benevolent performances throughout an amazing collection of songs.
Fans of roots rock, folk blues, and folk Americana aren’t the only ones who’ll appreciate this vinyl; it also offers solace and transcendence to anyone seeks slow down, moments of clarity, and anyone who might want to contemplate the serene spiritual flow and mellow thought-shapes that are provided by an amazing artist at the top of her game! Very highly recommended!
Grab the album here: https://ellesb.lnk.to/CTMSAPR
Words: © Neil Mach
Artist photos: © Rob Blackham
See Elles in concert here:
March 19th — London, Islington Assembly Hall
March 20th — Warwick, Arts Centre
March 21st — Bristol, Electric
March 24th — Manchester, Band on the Wall
March 25th — Glasgow, St Luke’s
March 26th — Gateshead, Glasshouse 2
March 27th — Holmfirth, Picturedrome
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