When an artist becomes impossible to ignore off the back of their debut single and the strength of their live sound alone, that becomes the mark of an artist that will stand the test of time, even in an era of ephemeral trends. The organically rich vibrancy within the sophomore single, Hide and Seek, is only going to make it harder for Blue Bayou to keep a low profile in the music industry.
For decades, Frank Zappa set the bar for eccentric funked-up colour, but it would appear that Blue Bayou have transcended it with the electrically zany arrangement in Hide and Seek, which makes no attempt to temper the quintessential charm of an artist following their muse to idiosyncratic corners of the airwaves to unlock exhilarating synth appeal with indietronic disco chops to die for. There’s a real sense that if you buy a ticket to a Blue Bayou show, you’ll be sonically born again.
With their reputation built through infamous live sets in Oxford and on stages shared with Max Blansjaar and Danny Mellin, Blue Bayou haven’t just flirted with anticipation – they’ve earned it. Their chamber pop instrumentation – soaked in trumpet stacks, disco strings, arpeggiating Juno lines, and diegetic chaos – is a meticulous riot. Hide and Seek is an audacious love letter to both Dury-esque absurdism and WH Auden’s precision.
Their status as Oxford’s most in-demand live band has already been secured, and with Chris Barker at the production helm, Blue Bayou’s rise from cult live fixture to alt-pop phenomenon is starting to write itself.
Hide and Seek is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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