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The tramp on the cover is an abiding metaphor for many of the lowlife characters who lurk within, from the drunk, wasted and hope-deprived, to the pompously self-righteous, whose Delusions of Grandeur<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0give the album its title.<\/p>\n Though he cheekily touts himself as an alternative to disillusioned Morrissey<\/strong> fans on social media, Bailey’s writing is perhaps more akin to fellow Yorkshireman\u00a0Pulp<\/strong>‘s\u00a0Jarvis Cocker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Cocker’s Common People\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0“dance and drink and screw, because there’s nothing else to do,” while Bailey’s cheat, steal and gamble – provided, that is, they can even summon the energy to get out of bed.<\/p>\n Sometimes, as on album opener\u00a0Somewhere Sordid<\/strong><\/em> – they’re rebels with “big intentions….young and not so worldly wise,” on other occasions they are “fighting a lost cause” – ground down by\u00a0The Absurdity Of It All<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n While most of his protagonists are the architects of their own undoing – Fruit Machines Lost Me My Friends<\/strong><\/em>, They Must’ve Seen Me Coming –<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0some are victims of the system, or the cruelty of others.<\/p>\n One of the most powerful songs on the album,\u00a0Goodbye Goodbye<\/strong><\/em>, tackles the issue of domestic violence, with the central character, “a Lena Zavaroni lookalike” struggling to take “the final step” to free herself from an abusive lover.<\/p>\n From the album title to the scabrous closing\u00a0Evening All (<\/strong><\/em>Satchmo’s Song)<\/strong><\/em>, which subverts\u00a0Louis Armstrong<\/strong>‘s\u00a0It’s A Wonderful World<\/strong><\/em>, Salient Braves appear to be out to expose the myth of ‘Great’ Britain.<\/p>\n What’s the point of Brexiteers “taking our country back,” if it wasn’t so brilliant in the first place, seems to be the message.<\/p>\n All of which could be pretty depressing, were it not for\u00a0Bailey’s love of language and wordplay; his humour providing a counterweight to the deep-rooted cynicism at the heart of this album.<\/p>\n While clearly influenced by\u00a0C-86<\/strong>-ers like Mighty Mighty <\/strong>and the so-called shambling bands of the late ’80s, the Braves’ music is given added heart by the warmth of\u00a0Jonny Nocash<\/strong>‘s guitars.<\/p>\n The odd brass flourish and Dani<\/strong>‘s\u00a0occasional backing vocals also put flesh on the bones of Bailey’s songs.<\/p>\n There is the odd misfire.\u00a0Bangkok,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0a look at exploitative tourism – think\u00a0The Sex Pistols<\/strong>‘\u00a0Holidays In The Sun<\/strong><\/em> meets\u00a0Blur<\/strong>‘s\u00a0Girls and Boys\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>– is a nice idea not quite fully realised.<\/p>\n But generally this is highly entertaining album, with a generous three bonus tracks on offer in the download version.<\/p>\n These include the intriguing\u00a0Out To Lunch –\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>a frank examination of the stigma surrounding mental health issues – which highlights Bailey’s continuing development as a songwriter.<\/p>\n Anyone familiar with the work of Matt Bailey‘s Salient Braves will know what to expect from this their debut crowdfunded LP. Bailey’s sardonic, often…<\/p>\n\n