Chaos And The Calm by James Bay

BRIT Critics Choice Award winner James Bay is a gentle soul. A man hidden behind beautiful long
hair and a hat that not many could pull off, he seemed to appear from nowhere and instantly steal the hearts of many. He's now a known star, full of promise with a number one debut album and that album, titled Chaos And The Calm, is 59 minutes of delicately crafted beautiful sound.

Hit single, Hold Back The River sits near the top of the album as a friendly remind of why you love this man so much before tumbling in to the ever-beautiful Let It Go. No, not that whiny princess song from Disney's Frozen, but the song which washes over you and makes you want to melt. Previous single, If You Ever Want To Be In Love lifts the tone and shows some versatility in what this man can do. This continues into Best Fake Smile which is fairly frantic in comparison to the pre-conceived notions you have about James Bay. It's also one of the best songs of the album. When We Were On Fire introduces some sultry soul into the mix but before you get too carried away, the tear-jerkng Move Together brings you back down to Earth. It's a challenge not to see this song through without a lump in your throat but it is more than welcome considering the romantic sentiment of the song. Collide gets you dancing and brings some fervent flare to the album which has an effect on it's successor Get Out While You Can. The ending five songs sees the likes of  Clocks Go Forward and Stealing Cars take you back to where it all started, the soft embrace of a man lulling you into romance and security with his voice and guitar alone.

There's a reason Chaos And The Calm entered the charts at number one; it's because it's a rarity one man creates an album which embodies happiness and sadness so effortlessly and perfectly.

8/10
Listen to: Let It Go, Best Fake Smile, Collide