Last month, blues, Americana and roots supremo Elles Bailey won three coveted 2025 UK Blues Awards: Vocalist of the Year, Broadcaster of the Year and Album of the Year for her universally acclaimed 2024 release Beneath The Neon Glow with her full band.
This seemed to be the pinnacle of her illustrious career until last week’s premiere of the stripped back vocals and piano edition recorded live in the studio, entitled Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined with two stunning additional tracks. An already great album has been transformed into a timeless masterpiece which touches the soul, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell’s Blue over half a century ago in respect of intensity, vulnerability and sharing innermost feelings. Bailey’s’ pure and heartfelt vocals are given additional space, the lyricism is more powerful and Jonny Henderson’s piano keys a tour de force.
The piano introduction for “1972” leads into an upbeat, nostalgic journey through life as it used to be when “lovers wrote letters,’ ‘cola came in glass bottles,’ and ‘blue bell bottoms and platforms did the trick.’” Thank goodness that vinyl is back in fashion! Elles’ vocals are powerful and expressive with acappella interludes courtesy of Jonny’s well-timed pauses.
Elles wrote “Ballad Of A Broken Dream” with Nashville-based Americana and country singer/songwriter Tamara Stewart. It deals with the struggles of being a musician and the links with mental health. As Elles explains: “The track follows the story of a tortured artist who, though exceedingly talented, has ended his career playing dive bars where no one knows his name.”
The lyrics are poignant, the vocals raw, the piano accompaniment sparse and empathetic:
And he’s on the stage, guitar in hand
With a name nobody knows
There’s an old man rolling a cigarette
A woman nursing her wine
He sings his lonesome memories
And he remembers his whole life
Guitarist and composer Joe Wilkins, Tamara, and Elles co-wrote “If This Is Love,” an anguished, soulful song about taking the power back from a heartbreaking relationship. Jonny provides the background staccato keys, intricate, expressive fills and rousing finale as the story unfolds.
The melancholic, slow-burning, blues-infused “Turn Off The News” poses the disturbing question of how it’s possible to “turn off the pain” when horrific events occur in the world, including seven children who were “not born for the bullet”—and later adds, “I slam the door when the demons are trying to break through / I turn off the news.” The vocals are as passionate and heart-rending as the piano accompaniment.
The upbeat “Leave The Light On” showcases Elles’ exceptional vocal range and intonation as she gives insights into her action-filled life as a musician, wife, mother, and broadcaster. Returning home late one night because of a missed train, she is welcomed by the outside light of her family home as a gesture of support, hence this “autographical open and honest love letter to my husband.”
“Enjoy The Ride” proves that ‘less is more’ in terms of tuning into the vocal depth and quality which Elles possesses with minimal backing, Peter Miles providing hand percussion effects.
Joe Wilkins and Elles wrote “Love Yourself,” an upbeat song with an instantly catchy melody but a serious warning about not finding peace at the bottom of a bottle or love in a shady bar. So take a look in the mirror and “see what we can see.” A moving ballad about old friends, “Silhouette In A Sunset” with its synchronicity of vocals and piano stands out as the key to the success of this very special and unique recording.
Elles wrote “Hate That I Love You” with one of the best known and highly respected contemporary blues musicians in the UK, Aynsley Lister. Magnificently arranged and performed with heightened emotion and sincerity, this song, which is not on the original album, will be cherished for generations to come. The lyrics ask how you can ever separate the soul from the song.
“Oh you pull me in, Rip me apart, Break my heart and Tear me up inside.”
The solo performance of “Let It Burn” features Elles’ dramatic piano interludes and smoky vocals confirming her well deserved reputation as a major international talent. An honest break up song, “Truth Ain’t Gonna Save Us” is a perfect blend of blues and ballad, while the final track (another new song) “Who Needs The Weather” is jaunty, optimistic, and a fitting conclusion to this groundbreaking album. After all, “Who needs the weather when you’re flying above the clouds?”
Releasing Beneath The Neon Glow Reimagined is an inspirational stroke of genius and probably the most important and celebrated Elles Bailey recording achievement in her remarkable, meteoric career so far.
Recorded and Engineered by Peter Miles
Available on streaming platforms and here.
