Daniel Wylie's Cosmic Rough Riders

Ian M Bailey - You Paint The Pictures

Artwork by Josh Washington

In 2021, Ian M Bailey released his Byrds-inspired debut ‘Songs To Dream Along To’ and was one of the surprise packages of the year. During its creation, he collaborated with his long-time friend Daniel Wylie of Cosmic Rough Riders fame. Wylie, in 2021 also released an album. His ‘Atoms and Energy’ album took a step back from his archetypal Neil Young and Norman Blake guitar sound to deal with discourses of grief, domestic violence, and regret.

The two worked together for the entirety of Bailey’s second album ‘You Paint The Pictures’. Would the two mindsets of 2021 still be present, would they clash and produce great art? We take a look.

The album was recorded at Bailey’s home studio Small Space Studios in England with Alan Gregson mastering the album as well as providing strings and Hammond (Life Without You) and slide guitar (Lover’s Song). It will be released on the 28th of October via Kool Kat Musik.

If they were in the same place mentally, Bailey’s enthusiasm from his debut certainly infiltrated Wylie and brought him back to the light. Positivity is the album’s life source with many a message coming from the point of view of a father wanting to help. ‘Hey Little Girl’ vocally and musically adopts the simple yet eloquent mind of Gene Clark on ‘True One’. Tinged with country and Ian Broudie-esque backing vocals, its message of hope to younger generations glides into hearts and minds. ‘Change Is Easy’ however, is what defiance sounds like in your mid-fifties. Determined to stay alive for their children, they espouse lyrical couplets to raise up and inspire those they love the most.

Baileys’s previous album and, Wylie’s previous few have been of undeniable quality. The only criticism to be found in any of them is creatively, they’ve resided in scenes that have been and gone. On ‘Year Of The Tiger’, ‘I Don’t Want To Start Again’, and ‘Dreams of Love’ they begin to take their influences down new avenues to forge their own path. ‘Year Of The Tiger’ takes the lysergic licks of Johnny Marr’s ‘The Messenger’ and the hypnotic keys of The Doors for a trip a la Moon Duo. ‘I Don’t Want To Start Again’ has the hallmarks of The Byrds and Ian Matthews Southern Comfort but, is blessed with the immediacy of Peter Buck’s guitar playing circa ‘Document’ and ‘Green’. Whilst the melodies are angelic, the tone meanders to the darker planes as they decree my “life is running down the hall”. The song offers great uplifts, enough to distract from you its stark reality of life is short but, the closing keys bring the brutish reality home!

It’s on the latter, ‘Dreams Of Love’ where the duo truly excels in using the past to conjure something new. Wylie draws on his classic ‘Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine’ with the trippy percussive elements from ‘The Gun Wasn’t Loaded’ and ‘Baby, You’re So Free’ whilst Bailey perfects his Ian Matthews ethereal vocals. The song builds with the orchestrated majesty of Scott Walker and destructs like Richard Hawley’s grief-ridden classic ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’. The booming guitars release a pain unparalleled by an artist this year.

On ‘Brazil’ the guitars nod to Peter Green in his more relaxed Splinter Group Days and the effortlessness of Santana. Bailey’s vocals are supreme. They dip into modern-day Weller on ‘Be Sunset’ and ‘Fat ‘Pop’ and the mysticism of George Harrison and the feather-light genius of Elliot Smith. There ever so withdrawn style allows for the Moody Blues keys and the Sanatana solo to burn brightest.

Rather than the two opposing outlooks of their debuts colliding to produce great music, it has been a far simpler tale of two like-minded friends collaborating for the greater good. Wylie’s abilities have lifted Bailey’s songs to the next level, may their partnership long continue.

The album is released on the 28th October. Be sure to check here to listen to additional songs. You can pre-order the album here https://ianbaileymusic.bigcartel.com/product/you-paint-the-pictures

Ian M Bailey - Songs to Dream Along To

In October, Ian M bailey followed up on his critically acclaimed EP ‘Shots of Sun’ with ‘Songs To Dream Along To’. Recorded and produced at his home studio, it was written with Cosmic Rough Rider’s songwriter Daniel Wylie and released on Kool Kat Musik.

Artwork courtesy of Ian and https://johnwashington.co.uk/

Musically, it lives romantically in the past, largely residing in the Laurel Canyon scene. There is modern-day wisdom to lots his writing keeping it relevant. ‘A Place To Live’, escapes to the gentle beauty of early Ian Matthews records. The real artistry though, appears in the lyrics, seemingly an ode to the child about the pitfalls of lockdown (“Glory days cut down in our prime”). Bailey is blessed with empathy in his writing but, in the chorus here, he taps into a melody so potent that, it lifts the troubled soul beyond its despair:

“just a place to live / a place where we can be together / just a place to live / we won’t be here forever”

‘I’m Not The Enemy’, tackles the same problems but, further down the line mental of struggle. As such, the Byrdisan sonic is tinged with Gene Clark’s rich darkness and the psyche solo suggests a breaking point was reached. Yet again, the uplift of the chorus keeps the protagonists reaching for the light.

The Byrds influences reach far and wide on the record. None better than on ‘This Is Not A Feeling’ with the 12 string Rickenbacker out in its all glory. The positivity radiating from the guitars and Bailey’s vocals is near perfect. Coupled with the enriching keys, a state of bliss is achieved.

Album number two has begun between bailey and Wylie. Based on this showing, it cannot come soon enough. 

*Banner images courtesy of https://www.johnmiddleham.com/

Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders - Atoms and Energy

Glasgow’s Daniel Wylie has released his ninth studio album ‘Atoms and Energy’. Recorded at La Chunky Studios, it is released via Last Night From Glasgow. With help from Neil Sturgeon, Johnny Smillie, and Stu Kidd, Wylie attempts to follow the loud guitar splendour of 2017’s ‘Scenery For Dreamers’.

The album is available to buy at Last Night From Glasgow.

The album is available to buy at Last Night From Glasgow.

This time out, the Young and Blake guitars, for the most part, take a back seat as Wylie examines death and past relationships. ‘Heaven’s Waiting Room’ encapsulates Reiner’s ‘Stand By Me’ as he revisits his formative years and just how quickly they fade. A devastating melancholy permeates Wylie’s psyche as he sings ‘I try, I try to do things right / not everybody has their day’.

The darkness continues on ‘The Bruises and the Blood’. A tale of domestic violence and the helplessness of a friend. The imagery is brutal but, Wylie has an innate gift to release the tension with melody. The joy in the keys and the Beach Boys breakdown offset the heavy lyrics and tense bass licks.  

The ability to juxtapose dark and light hits its peak on ‘A Memory’. Channelling the guitars of ‘Down By The River’ Wylie takes a soul at its lowest ebb and, frees it with the majesty of George Harrison. Layer upon layer of emotion builds and paints difficult images of a man in the darkness not knowing how to get out.  

Despite the overarching grief and regret, on ‘Saddle up the Horses’, there comes a need release, an indicator that this soul searching has found itself and begins to enrich. Wylie takes himself to his childhood and dreams of being a cowboy hero. The acoustic guitars rain down like glitter whilst the electric guitars are filled with glee.

The move away from raucous guitars has given Wylie the space to let his emotions flow and toy with new ideas. From the Santana-inspired guitars of ‘God Is Nowhere’ or the sinister REM infused ‘Ruth the Truth’, he has proven his worth as a songwriter. It’s the album’s melody where its greatness lay. No matter the mood or subject, Wylie can pivot to a happier sonic and thus, allows each song to develop greater depth and value.

Daniel Wylie's Cosmic Rough Riders - Scenery For Dreamers

Daniel Wylie may be 58 but, his soul remains as carefree and poetic as any teenager yearning for escape. ‘Scenery For Dreamers’ is Wylie’s 8th studio album and is littered with sun drenched avenues to explore and fall in love with.

You could be forgiven for thinking opener, ‘Rope (Everybody Lies)’, was a breezy pop song with its infectious ‘ba ba ba ba’s’ and, musically it is. Lyrically though, darkness prevails as the protagonist kids himself to cope with depression.

The ‘ba ba ba ba’s’ in question, act as a magical defiance and keep a lust for life motoring. Encased in 70s Californian rock n roll guitars, and with the line ‘could have gone under but dragged myself up’, it’s hard to view this as anything but heroic.

Wylie’s vocals have always been infectious but, on ‘Lucky Find’, they reach new peaks. The ‘Cortez The Killer’ opening mushrooms into pop nirvana as Wylie channels his inner Steely Dan and Brian Wilson to absolute perfection.

Negating its way through most of the album are the guitars of the Neil Young circa ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ and Scottish peers Teenage Fanclub. ‘Cold Alaska’, has In its opening and in the solo, the raucous nature of Young on his 1979 classic. Whereas, the verses have the freeness of the open road that the Fanclub made so prominent on ‘Bandwagonesque’.

‘Jingle Jangle Morning’ is beset with emotion and fragility of ‘The Concept’ but, simultaneously, is laden with the pop sensibilities of Young’s ‘Sail Away’ and the fuzzy drama of ‘Powderfinger’. When the two influences combine, its as though life affirming victory looms at every junction.

Wylie’s career, for too long has gone under the radar. It would appear, as he goes beyond his mid-point in life, the pop tunes are pouring out of him. Might this be the time for the masses he so richly deserves to come a flocking?