If you are more than a little partial for the sincere lyrical song offerings of artists like Jeffrey Foucault, Ben Glover and Danny Schmidt - to mention three for starters- , there is a new name to add in the guise of English singer-songwriter KB Bayley. Admittedly, the spin of words knows no nationality borders, but sometimes it is good to punch the bag from a local perspective when immersed in so much quality song writing from across the waters. Those three associates were not wholly plucked from thin air as Ben Glover lends backing vocals to one of the songs on the album, Jeffrey Foucault lends one of his songs for cover on the album and there is a stamp of Danny Schmidt's song structure right across the album. However let's put the names of others to one side and celebrate what KB Bayley has delivered in LITTLE THUNDERSTORMS.
Sorry, there is one more name in Martin Simpson. A similarity in style that struck me right from the first track and once again in the final song of Bayley originals before the album ends on an alternative footing. The final two songs of this eleven track collection took on a different strand as our protagonist shared his instrumental prowess on a lyric-free version of 'Wayfaring Stranger' and decided that a cover of Jeffrey Foucault's 'Cheap Suit' was apt way to close the album.
The rump and depth of this album comes in the form of the nine tracks that precede the finale where Bayley finds a stable groove and proceeds to deliver a stream of poignant ruminative songs awash with as strong a lyrical content as you are likely to hear. This album is best savoured with the lyrics at hand so you can at least attempt to track the route our songwriter is plotting even if you're left scratching your head with the subtle meaning. It has to be said that this album will blossom further once it is taken on the road as there is likely to be a whole new substance to Bayley introducing them to an intense listening audience.
Each of the nine tracks have a neat intro from a combination of sounds ranging from dobro to trumpet. You can also throw in the subtlest of pedal steel guitar, a slither of violin and some quintessential folk harmonica. All these provide a comfy base for Bayley to set about his task of pouring out a literary desire. A churchyard theme appears in opener 'Cold Rain' and again in pre-finale number 'North Shore Road', and you can just imagine using this location as an amazing source of song inspiration such is the wealth of stories that can be told.
On the song structure front, Bayley frequently dips into repetition outside the conventional verse and chorus format, a fascinating style and often found in the songwriting of Danny Schmidt. He also majors on the lengthy chorus, which does work largely, but the slotting in of a couple of shorter snappier ones can reap rewards and make a song more memorable. Ben Glover nails this on 'Oh Soul'. By the way, the song Glover lends his backing vocals is 'Blood Red Lullaby' and one that does surface as a strong standout candidate if such is desired. A little historical reference is applied here before the intent meanders into more profound and deeper territory. It is probably the most produced of the eleven tracks with the widest instrumental input.
In a lot of KB Bayley songs it is the journey that fascinates rather than the destination. Some are open to interpretation, while others no doubt have personal connotations. There is a slight northern thread in the songs and this may stem from his north-east upbringing. 'North Coast Girl', 'North Shore Road' and 'Throw it in the River' fall into this category, and not just based on the titles.
Joining KB Bayley on backing vocals for a couple of tracks is Claudia Stark, whose voice gives the album a fairer edge. One of the musical contributors is Charlie Jonas Walter, who is known through is duo work with Jonas and Jane.
LITTLE THUNDERSTORMS as a phrase may be metaphorically construed as these little bumps in the road that afflict all our lives, but it a very fine album that moves KB Bayley from an experienced peripheral operator on the wider music scene to one fully adopting centre stage to share a facet of his creative repertoire that contains a rich seam waiting to be mined. This is a sensitive album for life's quieter reflective times and one to excite the ears of a listener fascinated by the jigsaw puzzle of intuitive lyric laden songs.
