Leap (James Bay album)

Leap is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter James Bay, released on 8 July 2022 through Mercury and Republic Records. It was preceded by the singles "Give Me the Reason", "One Life" and "Everybody Needs Someone", and includes production and songwriting from Dave Cobb, Foy Vance, Ian Fitchuk, Joel Little and Finneas.[7]

Leap
Studio album by
James Bay
Released8 July 2022 (2022-07-08)
StudioBlackbird, Nashville; London
Length43:40
Label
Producer
James Bay chronology
Oh My Messy Mind
(2019)		 Leap
(2022)
Singles from Leap
  1. "Give Me the Reason"
    Released: 24 March 2022
  2. "One Life"
    Released: 13 May 2022
  3. "Everybody Needs Someone"
    Released: 24 June 2022
  4. "Save Your Love"
    Released: 8 July 2022[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk[2]
Clash8/10[3]
Evening Standard[4]
Gigwise[5]
NME[6]

Recording

The album was recorded "in a mixture of in person and remote sessions" in Nashville and London.[8]

Critical reception

Roy Sang of Clash described Leap as "a warm hug to those hankering to see the silver lining amidst the storms of life" and felt that it "exhibits a more unguarded side of Bay than seen previously as a successful attempt to augment his artistic palette".[3] Ali Shutler of NME characterised the album as "a bold, self-assured collection of songs about satisfaction" and "very much a return to those breakout acoustic campfire songs" from earlier in his career, commenting that "Bay has never sounded so sure of himself", concluding that Leap is a "touching, delicate record that finally sees Bay entirely comfortable with who he is".[6]

Reviewing the album for the Evening Standard David Smyth called the album a "retreat to the sounds that made [Bay] big in the first place", writing that "Too much of the rest stays in his comfort zone, mid-paced and melodic. He's back in the middle of the road, waiting to see if the masses will rejoin him."[4] Joe Muggs of The Arts Desk found that the "woah-woahs and undeniable emotional gut punches are all there, so the album will do fine" and Bay's "talent" to be "absolutely undeniable", but in light of the "far rawer emotion" of artists like Sam Fender, wondered if Bay "might not be capable of something much more lastingly powerful if he punched through the homilies and got to something a bit more individualist".[2]

Commercial performance

Leap debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart.[9] At the midweek stage, Bay was 300 chart units ahead of the number two album.[10]

Track listing
Leap track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Give Me the Reason"
Gabe Simon3:54
2."Nowhere Left to Go"
Joel Little3:24
3."Save Your Love"
  • Finneas
  • Benjamin Rice
3:23
4."Everybody Needs Someone"
Dave Cobb3:28
5."One Life"
3:25
6."Silent Love"
  • Jon Green
  • Sacha Skarbek
  • Bay
3:35
7."Love Don't Hate Me"
Cobb3:27
8."Brilliant Still"
Cobb3:33
9."Right Now"
  • Cobb
  • Bay
4:12
10."We Used to Shine"
Cobb3:48
11."Endless Summer Nights"
Cobb3:29
12."Better"
  • Bay
  • Aldred
Bay4:02
Total length:43:40
Leap deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Chew on My Heart"
  • Bay
  • Andrew Haas
  • Ian Franzino
  • Ryan
  • Ryan
  • Afterhrs
3:15
14."One Life" (acoustic)
  • Bay
  • Ghermezian
  • Gruska
  • Morris
  • Wrabel
  • Robson
  • Fitchuk
  • Bay
3:19
15."Give Me the Reason" (stripped acoustic)
  • Bay
  • Vance
  • Simon
Simon3:52
16."Chew on My Heart" (acoustic)
  • Bay
  • Haas
  • Franzino
  • Ryan
Green3:17
Total length:57:23

Personnel

Musicians

  • James Bay – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 6, 14–16), electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7–15), background vocals (4, 5, 7, 9–13), percussion (5, 16), keyboards (9), slide guitar (12), programming (13)
  • Foy Vance – background vocals (1)
  • Gabe Simon – background vocals, electric guitar, organ, percussion, piano, programming, synthesizer (1)
  • Ian Fitchuk – drums (1), bass guitar (5, 14); acoustic guitar, background vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, programming (5); percussion (14)
  • Alex Tomkins – piano (1)
  • Josh Moore – programming (1, 5, 14)
  • Joel Little – bass guitar, drum programming, keyboards (2)
  • Finneas – drum programming, bass guitar, piano, synth bass, synthesizer (3)
  • Lucy Smith – background vocals (4, 7, 8, 11)
  • Brian Allen – bass guitar (4, 7, 8, 10, 11)
  • Nate Smith – drums (4, 7–11), electronic percussion (7–10), percussion (8–10)
  • Philip Towns – keyboards, synth bass (4, 8–11); piano (4, 7); Mellotron, synthesizer (7, 8, 10, 11)
  • Dave Cobb – percussion (4, 7, 11), tom-toms (4, 11)
  • Reuben James – Wurlitzer electric piano (5)
  • Jon Green – background vocals, percussion (6, 16); electric guitar, keyboards, synthesizer (6); acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, piano, programming (16)
  • Sacha Skarbek – background vocals, Mellotron, piano (6)
  • Brennan Aerts – drum programming (9)
  • Davide Rossi – strings (9)
  • Andrew Haas – bass guitar, drums, electric guitar, keyboards, programming (13)
  • Ian Franzino – drums, programming (13)
  • John Ryan – background vocals, drums, electric guitar, keyboards, programming (13)
  • Forest Miller – violin (13)
  • Todd Lombardo – acoustic guitar (14)
  • Mads Hauge – keyboards, percussion, programming (16)
  • Jimmy Hogarth – percussion, programming (16)

Technical

  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (1, 3, 5–8, 10–12, 14)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (2)
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing (4, 9, 13), engineering (13)
  • Kolton Lee – mixing (15)
  • Serge Courtois – mixing (16)
  • Buckley Miller – engineering (1, 5, 14)
  • Gabe Simon – engineering (1, 15)
  • Henri Davies – engineering (1, 3, 12)
  • Joel Little – engineering (2)
  • John Hanes – engineering (2)
  • Matt Wiggins – engineering (2)
  • Darrell Thorp – engineering (4, 7–11)
  • Marcus Locock – engineering (5, 14)
  • Maximilian Von Ameln – engineering (6)
  • Adam Lunn – engineering (9)
  • Brennan Aerts – engineering (9)
  • Afterhrs – engineering (13)
  • John Ryan – engineering (13)
  • Jimmy Hogarth – engineering (16)
  • Josh Moore – editing (1, 5)
  • Matt Wolach – mixing assistance (1, 3, 5–8, 10–12, 14)
  • Bryce Bordone – mixing assistance (2)
  • Matthew Scatchell – mixing assistance (13)
  • Andrea Mastroiacovo – engineering assistance (1, 5, 14)
  • Art Smith – engineering assistance (1, 2)
  • Sean Badum – engineering assistance (1, 5, 14)
  • Philip Smith – engineering assistance (4, 7–10)
  • Gabrielle Stok – engineering assistance (13)
  • Jeff Gunnell – engineering assistance (13)
  • Nick Spencer – engineering assistance (13)
  • Alex Tomkins – editing assistance (1, 15)

Charts
Chart performance for Leap
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 64
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 36
Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 4
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[15] 95

References
  1. "James Bay Finds Light Even In The Darkest Moments On Third Studio Album 'Leap'". U Discover Music. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  2. Muggs, Joe (8 July 2022). "Album: James Bay – Leap". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  3. Sang, Roy (30 June 2022). "James Bay – Leap | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  4. Smyth, David (8 July 2022). "James Bay – Leap review: Back in the middle of the road". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  5. Smith, Harrison (7 July 2022). "Album Review: James Bay – Leap". Gigwise. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  6. Shutler, Ali (8 July 2022). "James Bay – 'Leap' review: self-assured songs about satisfaction". NME. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  7. Murray, Robin (13 May 2022). "Leap Of Faith: James Bay On His New Album". Clash. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  8. "James Bay Releases New Single "Everybody Needs Someone" Today". Umusic. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  10. Griffiths, George (11 July 2022). "Can James Bay Leap to a second UK Number 1 album this week?". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  11. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 18 July 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1689. Australian Recording Industry Association. 18 July 2022. p. 6.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – James Bay – Leap" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  14. "Swisscharts.com – James Bay – Leap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  15. "James Bay Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
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