The Empty Vessel Rattles The Loudest is the latest offering from seasoned musician and song-writer, John Bailey

Although John Bailey enjoyed early success after being signed with his original music in the 80’s, he feels at the tender age of 62, he has finally found his musical niche. The album was recorded utilizing John’s personal studio set up in Dorset and the songs from the album span a period of 45 years of song-writing!

Bailey’s background, as a performing musician, has predominantly been in rock and reggae. This release sits squarely on the rock side, however it also explores influences such as country and folk, at times reminiscent of bands such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Standout tracks on the album for me include Blunderbuss and Gone.

Blunderbuss opens with gentle acoustic guitar chords and is supported with a piano ostinato entering in the chorus, lifting the track along with the introduction of backing vocals. Blunderbuss also contains the line ‘the empty vessel rattles the loudest’ which is not only the title of the album, but also conjures up an evocative and lonesome image. The spoken word at the end also helps to speak directly to the listener.

Gone feels like the most folk-inspired song of the album with its slow melancholy chord progression and ethereal and haunting female backing vocals. The rich string arrangements also add a depth to the overall texture of the song and add to the tracks emotive pull.

The Empty Vessel Rattles The Loudest is full of textural subtleties which perhaps make it a bit of a slow burner. It is not an album that necessarily leaps out with catchy hooks upon first listen, but the more time you spend with it, the more the listener is rewarded as the subtle complexities of the album reveal themselves. Bailey will be moving to Brighton in 2025 and considers this album the “blueprint” to his next touring project, so it will be great to see how the songs translate to the stage.

Spotify