The deeper we get into 2021, the more I’ve come to realise that the only thing I can truly rely on from this increasingly frustrating, nay, infuriating year is that there is seemingly an unending supply of superb new albums around every corner. Certainly enough to distract me from losing my mind over each new headline and sensationalist reporting that comes with it.
As if one high quality album with its inspiration rooted firmly in the past isn’t enough in a week, following hot on the heels of The Courettes Back in Mono is the sublimely beautiful Songs to Dream Along To from Ian M Bailey. Like The Courettes, Ian wears his influences proudly, as he should. Retro the album may be in sound, but it comes from a very different place than The Courettes. Like the Danish/Brazilian duo though, Ian takes his carefully selected influences, ones that created a well loved, distinctive sound and throws them all together in his own magimix and creates an exquisite selection of songs that could soothe the most troubled of spirits.
Influences
Ian freely admits his influences – The Byrds, CSN, Lennon and McCartney, REM and The Jayhawks amongst them, as you listen to his songs, you can pick out songs that have flourishes, hooks or riffs influenced by each of the artists in his list. The delicate rhythms of The Sound of Her Voice could almost be a response to The Beatles And I Love Her, while listening to the opening guitar parts on the song immediately following this, I’m Not the Enemy, it wouldn’t sound out of place on a compilation of early REM songs. The falsetto vocal at the start of the glorious closing track, The Best Out of Me could almost be Neil Young.
In creating such a radiant and refined selection, Ian worked with one of the masters of the art in this genre, the one and only Daniel Wylie, who, not content with producing what I see as one of his career highs this year in Atoms and Energy, has contributed here to some of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard this year.
Soothing
I mentioned the soothing quality of the music, as I’m listening to this album for the umpteenth time, having had a stressful week for a variety of reasons, I can almost feel the stress lifting as the music washes over me. When you get to song four, Everything Will Be Alright and Ian sings the refrain, I really believe it. That is the power of wonderful music. The album title Songs to Dream Along To couldn’t be more appropriate as I lay along the sofa, with my eyes closed just letting the music take hold and my troubles wash away.
In recent years if you’ve loved the albums by Dumb Poets and The Gold Needles, this album is right up your street. Add it to your collection immediately.