Album Review: Electric Light, James Bay

While it sold by the bucket-load, the debut album from former Brit Award winner James Bay was padded out with more fluff than the stock-room of your local Build-A-Bear shop. It appears that the hit-maker has realised this too. His second LP Electric Light marks something of a rebirth, both musically and visually.

In a move that was sure to cause more than a few sleepless nights for his label, he’s binned his ever present black hat (gasp!), cut off his trademark long locks (the horror!), and mined the back catalogues of David Bowie, Prince and Frank Ocean in a bid to break free from mainstream shackles.

Destined to divide fans, the 14-song opus isn’t quite the mould-breaking revolution we wanted, but it’s a hugely encouraging and entertaining listen (especially on the pop-rock tour de force ‘Just For Tonight’). ‘Wasted On Each Other’ has a pleasingly choppy riff, stomping beat and glam-meets-Justin Timberlake vibe; ‘Stand Up’ builds to a satisfying, prog-style payoff; and ‘Sugar Drunk High’ signs off with some impressive, Bowie-esque sax. There are some stumbles along the way – the mundane ballad ‘Us’ and the over-produced R&B-ish ‘In My Head’ – but overall, Electric Light is a serious step in the right direction.

Rating: 7/10