Recommended tracks: “Lion,” “Concave,” “Far Away”
Artists you may like: Lizzy McAlpine, Leith Ross, Sydney Rose
There’s not a clear-cut answer for how to navigate change, getting older and the overall experience life, but perhaps that ambiguity is what needs to be explored. The wave of unanswered questions emerges from the cracks and crevices found along the rigid path of aging and seem to be sprouting at a rapid rate.
Delaney Bailey, a Chicago-based artist, decided to give her undivided attention to her own surplus of wavering questions, as they’ve become almost impossible to ignore. Maybe confronting them head on will allow her to see where they’re coming from and reach an understanding of her place in life, however complicated and confusing that perspective might be. Her new album, Concave, is a look inside Bailey’s process of doing so, taking confrontation to a new level in her redefined artistry.
As an empathy-infused singer-songwriter, it’s no surprise Bailey found her passion for music amongst her early years. Whether it was the magic that being named after Jimmy Buffett’s daughter brought her or the decision to graduate from listening to Nora Jones and Adele to My Chemical Romance, Pierce the Veil, Nick Drake, Lorde, and Grizzly Bear, Bailey would soon use her unpredictable childhood and an intense breakup to hone in on her niche: emotionally-driven songwriting.
Growing up with 7 siblings, empathy and understanding was rooted in her family dynamic, causing her to be constantly identifying and navigating her family members’ moods whilst looking internally. Fast forward to freshman year at college and Bailey experienced a breakup that opened the door to songwriting for her to cope.
Her first song released in her career, “Loving and Losing” (2020) was well received by the internet, but 2 years later, another of her singles would astonish the internet. Landing the #15 spot on New York Times’ “Best Songs of 22″, “j’s lullaby (darlin i’d wait for you)” amassed 128 million streams on Spotify, launching Bailey’s name into the spotlight. Since then, she’s released several introspective singles, EPS and 2 albums—one of which was released Jan. 21.
Concave, Bailey’s sophomore album, is a mosaic of all her unanswered questions, wonders and fears of entering an unfamiliar abyss, also known as growing up. Leading with a matured perspective, Bailey began the album’s narrative last June with her hauntingly bold single “Lion”, which begins to chip away at a version of herself captured by sunken weakness and helplessness in the wake of being feasted on by something that possessed more power. Recalling this caving state, Bailey expresses through confident vocals that she has pulled herself from that powerless state, reclaimed her power to grow a thicker skin, and develop a renewed confidence.
Bailey, proving that she is more than capable of taking full control of anything that brings her down, then released the second single off the album, “Wake Up.” Rather than seeking to take down a power that lands outside of her, she looks inward and confronts herself. With the electronically haunting single made possible by her distorted, crackling vocals, Bailey urges herself to wake up, reassuring herself that there’s still time and a part of her wants to make things right. Giving herself the ultimatum of either waking up or letting the loneliness eat her and her relationships alive, Bailey anchors this decision with time as the clock will tick either way.
In “Far Away,” Bailey reflects on her growth as a person, but specifically focuses on how her knowledge, perception and feelings on certain things have evolved. When she was younger, Bailey thought she knew everything about the world, as she was satisfied with the limited information and experiences she had to base her knowledge and perception of herself on. However, with age, Bailey soon realized that there’s much more to both herself and the world than she realized, drawing her to conclude that she’s “not convinced of anything,” despite at a younger age being “convinced that [she] knew everything.” Although this perspective may seem like an opened-up void, Bailey actually views it in a positive light, looking at it as an opportunity to experience and meet herself over and over again.
Concave embodies the concept of introspective exploration, where she reflects on the spaces she has occupied between then and now, questioning her youthful innocence with mature perspectives. However, Bailey doesn’t just pick apart her own coming-of-age complexities; she rather talks to herself through her writing, taking on the role of the bearer of advice. She gives herself ways she can make sense of reflection, and the findings that emerge from it instead of just laying the pieces on the table for herself, giving no direction on how they are supposed to fit together.
Elevating Bailey’s purposeful, mature songwriting, her vocals seem to have been strategically crafted to give the tracks an extra emotional, human touch. Bailey uses control, purpose and intention with her vocals—layering, smoothing and quieting them when needed. With this vocal awareness, Bailey’s messages come across more clearly, giving her lyrics a tonal quality that seems to accurately reflect the overall mood of Concave.
The light production and auto-tune usage, along with exploratory electronic production elements, fits Bailey’s vocals and lyrical storytelling like a glove. They give the album an extra cushion of softness, but at the same time add an intriguing layer. Rather than boxing the album into a specific singer-songwriter sonic identity, she opens her mind to incorporating some vocal and instrumental distortion and reverb. Although the production does lean more towards the acoustic feel, it’s exciting to hear how she tweaks it just a tad by experimenting with added effects.
It’s not every day that an album like Concave is made. In fact, for Bailey, it seems like she wouldn’t have been able to make it without her extensive experience with the one thing that we all go through: life. All Bailey’s lived years, holding varying perceptions, experiences and questions, were unearthed for this album. Perhaps she should not only be crediting herself for Concave, but also all the past versions of herself that helped make this album come to life. It’s bittersweet growing up, but when you can find purpose in making sense of it, that’s when those wavering questions find a home, even if it’s a temporary comforting visit.
Keep up with Delaney Bailey: Website // YouTube // Instagram // TikTok
