鈥淭alk,鈥� like much of British troubadour 's latest album, 鈥淐hanges All the Time,鈥� ends with a rousing chorus sung above a guitar melody. To get there, he starts with a confession: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to talk to you/I gotta give you something true.鈥�
The truth is, Bay is incredibly articulate. The album, his fourth, sees the musician turn lyrics into soulful cries or earnest encouragement atop raw instrumentation 鈥� as is signaled by the album cover, which features Bay alongside images of guitars and a keyboard.
The singer-songwriter, 34, first emerged over a decade ago, making waves with his 2014 debut album, 鈥淐haos and the Calm." His breakout hit, the six-times platinum 鈥淟et It Go" 鈥� with its fingerpicked introduction and easy-to-sing-along-to chorus 鈥� has since surpassed 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. Bay's talent arrived in the midst of the 2010s' embrace of pop singer-songwriters: He toured with and early in his career; his breakthrough tracks shared radio waves with and 's enduring hits.
Now, in 2024, his new music arrives at an opportune moment. The folk stylings of 鈥淐hanges All the Time鈥� are likely to be embraced by nostalgic fans and new ones alike, those who've turned to the genre during a post-pandemic resurgence. Led by artists like and , there are potential new listeners looking for vulnerable lyrics to become universal mantras.
Kahan and join Bay on the spirited lead single, 鈥淯p All Night," an entry into the 鈥渟tomp and holler鈥� canon that quickly conjures the image of live musicians jamming in a pub, around a campfire, in a garage or on stage. Over Bay's guitar, the collaborators promise to drop their guards, singing: 鈥淟et's talk about dreams/Let's talk about lies/Let's talk about all the things that keep us/Up all night."
Produced by Gabe Simon 鈥� who recently worked with Kahan on his critically-acclaimed 鈥� 鈥淐hanges All the Time鈥� sees Bay reckoning with late-night thoughts and big emotions with a variety of voices.
, known for her moody pop, lends a writing credit to the album closer 鈥淒ogfight." The Killers' co-writes 鈥淓asy Distraction,鈥� an apologetic love song with a killer bridge and electric guitar melody. Bay emulates singer-songwriter Kevin Garrett鈥檚 tender, whisper-singing on 鈥淐rystal Clear," which Garrett co-wrote.
Bay鈥檚 strength as a songwriter is felt deepest in the album's most emotive moments 鈥� like when 鈥淗ope鈥� employs a chorus of background vocals, turning a plea for optimism into a unifying message. Even as Bay sings about hard times, he assures 鈥渋t's gonna be alright" 鈥� as he sings on 鈥淒ogfight."
What 鈥淐hanges All the Time鈥� makes clear is that positivity 鈥� even in moments of tension 鈥� is Bay's love of the craft shining through.
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Elise Ryan, The Associated Press
