CD Review: Bailey James – I Feel a Sin – byJeffrey Kurtis for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Independent Release
When “Run Girl” climbed into the Top 40
of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart, teen-country sensation Bailey James went
from an artist on the rise, to one to watch. The song carried a toe-tapping,
honky-tonk style and refreshingly reminded country music lovers of the popular
1990’s era.
However, James quickly proved to be no one
trick pony as her subsequent singles showed her exploring within her sound in
several different, intriguing ways; “Devil Won’t Take Me Down” feels built for
today’s modern era, “Beck & Call” brought traces of a soulful Motown vibe
to her style, and “Trainwreck” slowed things down to give us a pull at your
heartstrings country ballad.
However, like with any good artist,
these songs all seemed to be foreshadowing what was still to come from her most
current single “I Feel a Sin.”
Her previous releases gave us touches of
her soulful side, her bluesy side, and her country side, but “I Feel a Sin” sees
her fully embracing who she is as an artist overall as she flat out showcases
her bluesy roots and stays firmly planted in a 1940’s vibe that brings us to the
dusty back room of an old jazz hall; somewhere like Chicago’s Green Mill.
Her sultry vocals combine with a slow
groove to help elevate the vulnerability of the lyrics as she transparently
sings lines such as:
“God knows I’ve done wrong. I feel a sin
coming on”
“This is my confession. Lord knows I
tried to be good”
“I’m not bad, I’m just misunderstood”
Once your captivated by her vocals, dig
deeper into the lyrics and you’ll discover that this is mostly a song of
revenge. Though she never fully comes out and says what her ex did to destroy
their relationship, there’s specific lines in the second verse that point to
this being her reaction to it when she sings, “I get mad, I get even” and
“revenge is best served icy cold.”
Bailey James has already earned the
music industry’s attention, and with “I Feel a Sin” she finds the perfect balance
to show off her incredible vocal range as she hits new highs, while also
digging into a grittier side that we haven’t heard from her in the past.
Watch the music video for “I Feel a Sin”
at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_82dNeGggtw
