New York City singer/songwriter Bayard Russell’s debut album, Selftitled,is a lo-fi tale of heartache and love lost. Russell delivers simple, catchy songs with honest lyrics straight from hisbroken heart. He effortlessly takes what most of us would consider as bad situations and makes light of them, and in doing so he creates a responsive bond of some sort with his listeners. You can’t help but feel for the guy. Mirroring the likes of Elliott Smith and The Postal Service, with a little hint of Jack Johnson, Russell takes listeners along with him on his journey of self-discovery and finding his identity as a musician. But for now, Russell’s Selftitled album should do the trick.
The album opener, “Living At My Mom’s”, immediately struck a cord in me, seeing as I can (unfortunately) relate. But thanks to Russell’s whispery voice and simple, catchy lyrics, the reality doesn’t seem half as bad. Not to mention the dreamlike ambience created by his exceptional use of the synthesizer. The second track, “Just Feel”, although quite similar to the first track, seems to me much darker and desolate, yet still rings true. The lyrics in this track are especially simple, but nonetheless successful. Most of the tracks on Russell’s album should be acknowledged for their blend of his three crucial song components: his breathy voice, hypnotic dreamlike production, and simple, yet effective lyrics.
Selftitled is perhaps the most appropriate name for Russell’s debut album, as it fully quantifies his inner self. His approach to publicizing his personal understanding of heartache is a smart one and ultimately gets the point across to audiences. Russell has used his musical experimentation and knowledge to his advantage and has somehow managed to make heartache and pain a pleasure to listen to.
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Track Names
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Living At My Moms
Just Feel
I Know
Uh-Huh
Crazy For You
A Candle That’s Burning
I Will Chase You
City Lights
My Heartbreak
I Will Make You Proud
Uptown Harbor
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Artist: Album
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Bayard Russell: Selftitled
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Genre
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Alternative & Punk
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More Information
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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bayardrussell
http://www.crash-avenue.com
http://www.bayardrussell.com
http://www.myspace.com/bayardrussell
