adam baker - The New Day EP

Adam Baker

The New Day EP
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

From the great land of Northern Ireland comes Adam Baker, a strong willed and love minded up and comer with a golden voice and the gift of song writing. His passion for social justice and faith-based mission, promote and inspire his work every day, making him a vessel for creativity. His songs are emotional and soft, yet resilient and firm just like his vocal performance. 

His six-song EP The New Day includes "Come Away" an American country tune brought to life by driving beats and synth. "New Day" throws in some electric guitar and next in line is the bass driven "Weary Soul" featuring some great acoustic work and powerful lyrics that call upon Baker’s roots in prayer and his belief in hope and salvation. "The Beauty And The Broken" could very well be a Neil Young song the way he uses his voice to glance along. The biggest take away from this would be, again, the lyrical content and weaving of poetry.

There's something to be said about the talent coming out of Europe, namely the UK. We have mainstream artists like Ed Sheeran and Hozier that are writing soulful, heartfelt songs that captivate their listeners. Baker is no exception to this rule, however coincidental it may be. "I'll love you, I always will", is just one example of simplistic writing that, when paired with lovely instrumentation, becomes something bigger than just a song. Which relates back to the very words within, "They say true love is more than a feeling," Baker states. And such is with music - the two tend to take flight in the mind and evolve beyond expectation.

The excerpts I've referred to are, of course, from the opening ballad "I'll Love You." This classic tale of undying love gets a stripped and romantic live version later in the album and it's a great window into Baker's raw artistry, to hear him taken out of the studio and directly relating to the immediate surroundings.

"Next to You" is slow paced and hangs on some bright and clean acoustic. Nothing is in the way of guitar and voice until the finish and if you haven't realized it yet, that's all it takes to create the magic that is The New Day EP. Baker's voice balances a husky breathy tone with moments of full voice passages. As the song draws to a close we hear a weeping violin glide in and out, something so close to sad and yet built upon what else but love? This album has a collection of ballads that use that effect to their advantage, incorporating uplifting words with the sweetest of gentle melodies. And at times, you can't help but feel some kind of melancholy. That is the secret in my eyes, the attribute that really cements these songs into people's hearts and creates a special bond.

I would suggest this work to anyone aspiring to find their voice in this saturated market, to anyone struggling with daily life and its confusions, to anyone in need of a different understanding towards the way we love. And in that, Baker will continue to find success as he notates the rhythm of relationships both physical and spiritual.

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