He plays guitar like the third Gallagher brother, showcasing a sharp ear for Beatlesque melodies even in the middle of a blazing solo. He writes songs that are barbed and revealing, as though he’s immersed himself

in Pete Townshend’s full catalog. But his greatest talent may be his ability to absorb, process, and integrate so many disparate styles and traditions into something fresh, singular, and exciting. His long-awaited debut album, Definitely NOW (Flying Buddha/Masterworks) combines American R&B, down-home rock-and-roll, transportive psychedelia, and blistering blues riffs into a deft personal statement about battling your demons and finding life-affirming joy in music.

A self-described “vinyl junkie” with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of rock and soul history, Bailey has been listening to music all of his life. Growing up in Nottingham, the son of a British/Jamaican father and a British mother, he would peruse his parents’ record collection with focused concentration, thumbing through the albums and staring intently at their covers. “When I wasn’t playing with my Ghostbusters toys or my Commodore 64,” he recalls, “I would just look at LPs all afternoon. They were just mental. Most of them would be soul or reggae or what the Americans call the British Invasion.”

The Beatles were an early favorite, in particular the red and blue greatest hits. They instilled in him a love of concise hooks, dynamic melodies, and evocative lyrics. Another early influence was Oasis, who was the biggest band in the UK by the time Bailey was a teenager. Their albums gave him a new perspective on rock history: “I vividly remember putting on Jimi’s greatest hits and being confused by it, but I thought he looked really cool. I’d never seen a mixed race rock star before. After hearing Oasis, though, all of a sudden my mum’s Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin LPs made perfect sense.” Soon Bailey picked up a guitar and started teasing out chords and rudimentary riffs; listening to LPs became a master class in how to sing with conviction and jam with imagination.

Bailey has put those lessons to good use, first with the folk collective The Accidental (featuring members of the Memory Band, Tunng, and the Bicycle Thieves) and later as a solo artist. Amy Winehouse, who was introduced to him by mutual friend and acclaimed producer Salaam Remi was so impressed with Liam that she signed him to her Lioness Records imprint and recorded 2 EPs with him – “So Down, Cold” and “2AM Rough Tracks.” Bailey has displayed a fearless streak in his collaborations, working with everyone from DJ Fresh and Shy FX to Rita Ora and Tom Odell. He co-wrote the Chase & Status hit “Blind Faith feat. Liam Bailey” which debuted in the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart

Definitely NOW, was recorded in New York, Miami, and London with a team of session musicians, including members of Truth & Soul, who have backed R&B legends Lee Fields and Charles Bradley. The album sounds less like a studio record than a ferocious live album documenting that one night when every riff and every groove hits hard and urgent. All that’s missing is the sound of cheering crowds. Those will come soon enough.