For us Boomers, 24-year old English/ singer/songwriter James Bay’s “Hold Back the River” is the 70s all over again: a song with great hooks, compelling rhythms and vocals, and sensitive, insightful lyrics that bring to mind 1986’s “In Your Wildest Dreams” by the Moody Blues.
Bay was signed to a label at 21, and by 22 he was selling out his first UK headline tour. Says he was inspired to play classical guitar after hearing Eric Clapton’s “Layla.” His music is categorized as “pop, and sometimes as “folk.”
The titles of his albums and songs sound 70s, too: “Chaos and the Calm,” “The Dark of the Morning” and “Let It Go.” His shoulder length hair seals the deal.