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Artist......: Liam Bailey
Album.......: Ekundayo
Label.......: Big Crown Records
Genre.......: Reggae
Catnr.......: BC091-CD
Source......: CD
Rip.date....: 2020-11-13
Str.date....: 2020-11-13
Quality.....: 654 kbps avg / 44.1kHz / 2 channels
Url.........: http://liambaileymusic.bandcamp.com
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\ / # title time \ /
\/ \/
1. Awkward 3:12
2. Champion 2:56
3. White Light 3:17
4. Don't Blame NY 2:48
5. Cold & Clear 3:16
6. Angel Dust 3:49
7. Fight 3:02
8. Vixit 3:37
9. Ugly Truth 2:30
10. Young In Love 3:36
11. She Hates This Life 3:04
12. Where Do I Start? 0:57
13. Paper Tiger 3:14
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\ / ________ Runtime 39:18
,\ /... . . .... .... \ / ' Size 192.89______
:\/ ', \ / , \ /
' '... ..\ /.. .. .....:. .. .... .. . ..\ /.
: Release Notes: \/ , \/ ,
' '
,: Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam BaileyÆs :,
: debut record on the label. This album is a long time in the :
:' making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didnÆt ':
,: take a long time to record, but it did take years for all the :,
: stars to line up. :
:' ':
,: Bailey, born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an :,
: English mother and Jamaican father got his early influences from :
:' his momÆs record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie ':
,: Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would :,
: eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today. :
:' ':
,: Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London and doing the :,
: whatever-gig-you-can-get musician hustle with hopes of landing a :
:' record deal. And it was through this time that Liam first ':
,: teamed up with Leon Michels, musician/producer luminary, and the :,
: co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to :
:' New York and those first sessions together produced the now ':
,: classic tunes ôWhen Will They Learnö and ôIÆm Gonna Miss Youö :,
: which still get spins at reggae spots around the globe. That :
:' trip helped kick off what was to follow next for Liam: a slew ':
,: of record releases, label deals, and working with some :,
: wildly-notable mainstream producers. Even a just-famous Amy :
:' Winehouse heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo-fi recordings ':
,: through a friend and liked what she heard. Regardless of the :,
: audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone throughùall guitar, :
:' warm-rough and genuine soul. She signed him to her label ':
,: shortly after. :,
: But, as the story can go with major labels, they already had an :
:' idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push. With ':
,: the typical pay-day enticement, Liam did his best to fit into :,
: whatever shape they put him to. "'Maybe I can make it work,' :
:' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly ':
,: find out that you can't." :,
: :
:' While LiamÆs career went through a bunch of record industry ':
,: twists and turns he and Michels stayed in touch and would :,
: regularly connect and collaborate. Finally, in 2019, the time :
:' was right to do a full-length album together. And this time, it ':
,: would be free of any restricting major label presumptions and :,
: opinions. :
:' ':
,: Set to release in October 2020, the album is called Ekundayo. :,
: And the word's meaning may be all you need to know to get to the :
:' essence of this project. It means "sorrow becomes joy" in ':
,: Yoruba, a language spoken mostly in Western Africa. Liam's :,
: potently unique voice has always had to fight against label :
:' agendas to get through. Now, teaming back up with Leon and his ':
,: production, that restraint has given way to a pure, liberating :,
: freedom that trusses up the entire record like a spine. "This is :
:' the record we always wanted to make," says Michels, nodding at ':
,: those past projects, where they bottled a spark of lightning in :,
: a studio session. But then there always was the slightly :
:' deflating feeling of whether or not Liam's label situation at ':
,: the time would like it. :,
: :
:' On the surface, Ekundayo is a weighty Reggae record, full of ':
,: new and old textured riddims. But listen more in-depth, and :,
: you'll find subject matter that's more recognizable from a :
:' modern-day R&B record. ':
,: An example of the former is the first single off the album. Sung :,
: to the most beautiful woman at the nightspot, "Champion" is a :
:' joyous anthem powered by a silly-thick Juno-bass throb and ':
,: 808-proof drums. In short, "Champion" is dancehall-ready. But :,
: then there's a song like "Don't Blame NY." Moody and sparse with :
:' a somber drive, you might have to resist the urge to compare it ':
,: to a Frank Ocean-ish type vibe. Liam's voice is in a different :,
: but fitting element here, showing stripped-back emotion and :
:' soulful restraint. Anyone who has lived and tried to thrive in ':
,: New York won't have a hard time relating to the lyrics but they :,
: may join the masses who blame the city, while Liam points the :
:' finger at himself and sings praises to The Big Apple. ':
,: :,
: Credit to Leon's hand, elements of Jamaican production are :
:' everywhere, peppered throughout the record. Like the ':
,: pitch-perfect organ stabs that push through the authentically :,
: positive "White Light," or the muted, percussive guitar strums :
:' that chug along in the back of "Fight." ':
,: :,
: In the same vein of any fantastic singer/songwriter album, :
:' Ekundayo is a reflection of who Liam Bailey is, a portrait of ':
,: him for us to consider and take in. And what we see is an artist :,
: growing into himself, taking on topics and approaches he never :
:' would think of just a few years ago. Some evidence: "Ugly ':
,: Truth" is about reconnecting with his biological father, a :,
: subject he once thought would be too personal to address. :
:' Sometimes we can't express ourselves before we're ready to. ':
,: :,
: The journey from conforming to major labels to this latest :
:' record has been a long one for Liam, and a bit of a struggle. ':
,: But struggle may be the only way we truly grow and evolve. With :,
: a new clarity of purpose, sound, and life, Liam has found joy :
:' out of those struggles. And it's called Ekundayo. ':
: '
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\ / Shout out to all our homies from: \ /
\ / \ /
\ / iPC BOSS HiT2000 1way UKi i8 RNS \ /
\ / RAGEMP3 MANDY DV8 pLAN9 BUTT \ /
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\/ ____ ____ \/
\ / H O U N D \ /
\/ 2 0 2 0 \/