: ' .. .:.... . ' ' ______________ : ________ : ' \ / .. .:. .. \ / : : \ /_________ \ / . .. ... .. . : .\ / /___ /\ \ / ______________ ___ _. : \ / / \ / \ \/ / \ \ \ \ \ . ...:..\ / _______/ \/ \ ___/__ / / / / / : /\ / / \ \/ \ / / / . sH! ' / \/ / / / \ / / . ... .:.... .. . :/ _______/ / / / _______/__ ___ __ .\ / / / / / / / / / / / \ / / / / / / / / / / / . . \ /\______/ / / / / \___ / / : \/ ____ \ / / / / / : \ / \ /\____/\ / / : : ________\/ \ / \ / / : ' \ / \/ \ /\ / : . ..:.. . \ / \/ \ / \ / \ / . ' : \/ F A N G \ / : ' ____ \ / . . .. .. .:.. . \ / presents \ / . . \/ \/ : : . ..:.. , : 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.....: 221kbps/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo . :.. .:. Url.........: http://liambaileymusic.bandcamp.com ' ' , ________ ________ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / # 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 ______ \ / ________ Runtime 39:18 ,\ /... . . .... .... \ / ' Size 65.22 ______ :\/ ', \ / , \ / ' '... ..\ /.. .. .....:. .. .... .. . ..\ /. : Release Notes: \/ , \/ , ' ' ,: Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam Bailey’s :, : debut record on the label. This album is a long time in the : :' making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didn’t ': ,: 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 mom’s 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 “When Will They Learn” and “I’m Gonna Miss You” :, : 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 through—all 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 Liam’s 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. ': : ' '.. ..' .. . :........... . . . . ............: . . ______________ ______________ \ / \ / \ / Shout out to all our homies from: \ / \ / \ / \ / iPC BOSS HiT2000 1way UKi i8 RNS \ / \ / RAGEMP3 MANDY DV8 pLAN9 BUTT \ / \ / \ / \/ ____ ____ \/ \ / F A N G \ / \/ 2 0 2 0 \/