Atlanta musician Bailey Crone, better known as Bathe Alone, recently released the latter half of her double EP Fall With The Lights Down (Velma). That, along with, Side A: (Louise), August 4th, completes the homage to her great-grandmothers; whose pictures adorn the cover of the album and their respective EPs. Speaking to this (and the iconic ’70s era photos that adorn the covers), Crone had this to say:
“I was browsing my dad’s Facebook and he had uploaded all of these family photos… She just looks super unhappy and out of context being on a boat… Then there’s another photo of the other great-grandma in a yellow vest with a picnic basket next to her. I thought these photos were so weird and powerful.”
We’ve covered Bathe Alone before at the blog, which you can find here; Nick called 2020’s single “Calm Down” a “beautiful slice of dream pop.” Fall With the Lights Down is no mere slice, but a multi-tiered wedding cake that builds upon “Calm Down,” which resides on the band’s previous LP, Last Looks, from 2021.
The first two singles from the album, “Awfully Quiet” and “In Your Wake” appear in the back half of the album separated by the third single “Missionary Wake.” The three tracks flow beautifully together and showcase Crone’s impressive vocals. “Missionary Ridge” was my personal favorite of the three with the persistent hum of the bass pairing with the simple yet effective drums to create (what felt like to me) the sound of silence in our own minds. The effects meshed with the vocals really drove home the feeling of an inner monologue during a somber moment; “facing up/facing home/you feel a lot/feel alone/feeling everywhere you go/thought I told ya but guess I was awfully quiet.” This wistful vibe is permeates throughout the singles and the album in it’s entirety. Offerings from Beach House, specifically their 2015 albums Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars, evoke similar feelings and is the closest I can think of stylistically to Bathe Alone’s album.
The Louise half of the album, comprising the six initial tracks includes a short intro track that’s mostly instrumental but sets the tone. “Some Things Never Change” is the mantra that grounds the listener in Crone’s shoes as she proceeds to take us through a life (her life? our lives? Velma’s? Louise’s? all of it?) “Decades & Dreams” also stands out to me after a second listen, as references to various decades are made throughout – 70’s and 90’s in “Missionary Ridge” and “Awfully Quiet” respectively. Both that and “Waste It” are a close tie for the most upbeat sounding tracks on the album that does a slow, somber, descent a la that of Smashing Pumpkins’ concept album Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (roughly following someone from birth to death.)
You can hear “Fall With The Lights Down” on Spotify. The EPs appear separately as of this publishing, so I would recommend throwing Louise on first, followed by Velma.
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