Track Review: When The Lights Went Out // Bailey Tomkinson
Described by The Daily Mail as “Britain’s answer to Taylor Swift”, singer-songwriter Bailey Tomkinson is not only a pretty face but a phenomenal musician as well. Influenced by artists like Sheryl Crow, Sam Fender, Carole King and The Eagles, her sound is intimate, obscure and heart-warming. While she is only 21 years old, Bailey already has a firm foundation in the UK pop industry with features in The Mail Online, The Time, BBC Radio 2, The Other Side Reviews and various other online radios/playlists. In fact, her passionate live performances have seen her outsell Dua Lipa and The Pussycat Dolls reaching #1 in the iTunes Video charts – pretty impressive for an unsigned artist. The latest addition to her discography is ‘When The Lights Went Out’.
Following her critically acclaimed single ‘Bright Red’, Bailey offers an upbeat, jovial sound in ‘When The Lights Went Out’. An interesting melodic arrangement incorporates a folk influence with heavier guitars and strong underlying drums interspersed throughout. Yet, this is not the typical “folk-pop meets country” song with its eclectic instrumentation making it quite unique. A guitar-driven track, Bailey shows her skills with that instrument; however, the placement of indie-rock influences highlights her innovativeness as an artist.
Toe-tapping and fun, ‘When The Lights Went Out’ has an uplifting sound, but there is a juxtaposition between happy vibes and vulnerable lyrics. Bailey shares that this song is “…about those times when you think you’re in a relationship, but the other part doesn’t. A lot of people have had that experience where you’re messaging somebody thinking it’s going well, only to find he’s talking to three other girls at the same time.”
Using this personal narrative and her story-telling sound, Bailey connects with audiences on a deeper level exposing vulnerability, frustration and despair. One of the first tracks from her upcoming EP, set for release in 2022, ‘When The Lights Went Out’ has Bailey walking the thin line between naïve innocence and sophisticated reflection.