Elles Bailey - 'Road I Call Home' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Hell Or High-Water

2. Wild Wild West

3. Deeper

4. What’s The Matter With You?

5. Medicine Man

6. Road I Call Home

7. Foolish Hearts

8. Help Someone

9. Little Piece Of Heaven

10. Miss Me When I’m Gone

11. Light In The Darkness

The first track on this album meanders in, its not clear where it's going, then all of a sudden this tremendous voice grabs the song by the scruff of the neck, from that point onwards you’re in no doubt this is something worth listening to (although the riff sounds a bit like it might have been borrowed from Bon Jovi’s 'Wanted Dead or Alive').

This is Country/Blues/Americana/Rock. What can I say, if any of those genres appeal to you don’t just sit there, get this album downloaded, you won’t regret it, you’ve just found a genuine talent who should be huge.

Elles has a powerful voice, its an instrument that she wields throughout this album with authority and skill. I could happily sit all day and listen to her sing.

The third track, 'Deeper', suddenly throws some horns and a Hammond organ into the mix, it's unexpected and works really well. I realised at this point there may be no limits to where Elles can go. She has a voice that beats the horns back into place in a soulful way, soothes the Hammond and on other songs sings Country like she was born to it and yet again has a bluesy, smoky quality to it on other songs that is just gorgeous.

Is it wrong to fall a bit in love with a voice while you’re reviewing an album? If it is I really don’t want to be right! There’s nothing I can say about this album other than its wonderful, perfect and you should listen to it right now!

My feeling there is no one influence on Elles, I heard hints of Shelby Lynne, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin and a host of wonderful singers but with a voice and song choice this good it doesn’t matter, Elles is a strong artist in her own right.