Review: Elles Bailey ‘Shining In The Half Light Deluxe Edition’

By Mike O’Cull

Award-winning British blues/rocker Elles Bailey gives her fans more of what they love with the release of Shining in the Half Light Deluxe Edition, an expanded version of her most recent album.

The new set comes out March 17th, 2023 on the Outlaw Music label and nearly doubles the amount of songs on the original album. What was a ten-track record is now 19 songs in length and includes two new originals, two covers, and five live tracks. Fans were clamoring for an enlarged version of the record that included live recordings of some of the tunes and Bailey decided to deliver the goods and then some. She assembled the original Shining in the Half Light crew in the same room for the very first time at The Pool Studios in London and tracked five songs live. Bailey then took her cracking band to Middle Farm Studios in Devon and cut two new originals and a pair of covers live to tape, which was a new experience for the high-powered vocalist.

Elles Bailey is a smoky-voiced, dynamic recording artist who has risen to the top of the British roots and blues scene in the last few years. She has rung up millions of streams, toured with Grammy Award winners Don Mclean, Van Morrison, and Mike Farris, and performed well-received sets at important festivals including Wilderness, Cambridge Folk Fest, Cheltenham Jazz Fest, and Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Cruise. Bailey has also earned several UK Americana Awards and UK Blues Awards. She’s made a big splash in just a handful of years and has quickly become one of Europe’s most popular contemporary blues artists.

Shining in the Half Light was already a strong effort and expanding it has only made it more so. The original ten-song core of the record is still there and is as impressive as ever. From the dramatic opening cut “Cheats and Liars” to the deep-end title song “Shining In The Half Light” that closed out the first version, Bailey’s initial album concept holds up and entertains. The additional songs on the Deluxe Edition only increase EB’s magic and appeal. The delicate and acoustic mother-and-child ballad “Spinning Stopped” is heartfelt and sweet and shows us the softer side of Bailey’s pipes. Her naturally warm vocal tone will charm you in a single breath.

“Hole In My Pocket” is a simmering, minor-key R&B number with an old-school flavor. An unexpected turn in the chorus takes it into rock territory before it returns to its percolating verse. The whole thing explodes in an up-tempo flash at the end and will stop you in your tracks when it does. Elles’ wide-open phrasing and knack for nuance conspire to make this an album highlight, as does her high-value backing band.

“Hole In My Pocket”

 
Another big winner on the new set is Bailey’s wonderfully-soulful rendition of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Long As I Can See The Light.” Elles is transfixing and hypnotic on it, giving it a spiritual performance with minimal instrumentation and a deep Southern feel. Guitarist Joe Wilkins contributes some beautiful slide work that makes the song even more hymn-like. It’s one of the finest CCR interpretations that’s been done and reveals an entirely new side of this familiar tune.

The live tracks from the original album are each powerful in their own way. “Halfway House” is a miracle of soul, telling its story in an unhurried way that emphasizes the truth it holds. “Riding Out The Storm” is snappy and fresh all over again. Bailey’s low-toned voice is one of life’s perfect things and will quickly make itself a home in your musical world.

Shining in the Half Light Deluxe Edition is proof that Elles Bailey was nowhere near finished with this album when it first made impact and there was a lot more great music lurking up her sleeve. Get this to put beside your first copy and bask in every second of it.

Pre-order Shining In The Half Light Deluxe Edition HERE