Album review: KELLY BAYFIELD – Wave Machine

December 27th, 2022 by jason

Self-released [Release date 27.01.23]

‘Wave Machine’ is the debut album from Kelly Bayfield following on from the release of two singles, ‘Vapour Trails’ and ‘John Mahoney’. The songs gathered on this album arrived at some of the most significant points of her life, beginning with the birth of her children and ending with the death of someone incredibly dear to her, her family, and many others.

With each song on here, once complete, becoming a healing waymarker – a collaboratively lit beacon of warm light in the dark and uncertain landscape of grief and a global pandemic. The album also marks one of the final recordings of multi-instrumentalist Paul Sartin of Bellowheadand Belshazzar’s Feast fame, who sadly passed away in September.

Despite (or perhaps because of?) the sad events happening during the recording of Kelly Bayfield’s debut album the music is uplifting and lyrically both meaningful to Kelly and resonate with the listener. ‘Lullaby’ is a perfect example, where the song’s lyrics and melody can be used to soothe a young child to sleep or at the dying moments of a loved one.

Kelly’s vocals are soothing on the ears, capturing the listener’s attention from the first note to the last on the album. ‘Hitchhiker’ and ‘Bird Of Prey’ recall those Laurel Canyon singer songwriters. The latter song featuring Mats Hard’s wonderfully crisp trumpet playing, whilst the former is a perfect piece of Americana pop. The whole album has wonderful sonics thanks to the production of David Edward Booth.

One of the finest debuts you’ll hear in the folk meets Americana fields of music. Kelly Bayfield has been through a rollercoaster of life to bring out this album of her own musc, which deserves the plaudits and success it most certainly deserves. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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