James Bay’s fourth studio album, “Changes All the Time” released in October, takes the singer-songwriter back to his roots established with his debut album “Chaos and the Calm”, in 2015. This new album brings him forward with fresh changes highlighting his flexibility as an artist.

James O’Sullivan writing for When the Horn Blows, concludes that with the release of “Changes All the Time,” Bay is “no longer boxed in by the folky, singer-songwriter style of his earlier work, but he’s also not containing himself in the trappings of expectation…Instead, he gets to write for writing’s sake, and the freedom lets the album shine.”

The first track on the album, “Up All Night”, is a happy, foot tapping therapy song that gets you wondering if you should be cheering on the couple or counseling divorce–but you really don’t care; it’s just a great, snappy tune. It features The Lumineers and Noah Kahan who provide harmonies and background vocals.

A marvelous album.

Source: AppleMusic. James Bay by James O’Sullivan, When the Horn Blows 2024.  Graphic: Album Cover copyright Mercury Records.