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Elles Bailey — Can’t Take My Story Away (Cooking Vinyl + Outlaw Music)

Tune in to Radio Two these days (ok, it’s our guilty pleasure) and it’s likely you’ll come across the rather wonderful Growing Roots.

The runaway success of Elles Bailey’s gloriously reflective A-listed single is surely a taste of what’s to come in 2026 for the soulful queen of British blues.

A heady mix of gospel-tinged, Alabama-influenced, brassy and sassy Americana sounds like it’s straight out of Muscle Shoals.

But that’s just the start.

Bailey’s deliberate shift in emphasis from throaty blues to something more akin to Chess Records’ soul-soaked back catalogue is writ large over the compelling Can’t Take My Story Away.

Eleven expertly crafted songs allow the blooming Bristolian to channel her inner Minnie Riperton and take a leaf out of Irma Thomas’ book.

But it’s significant that producer Luke Potashnick (The Temperance Movement) retains the raw passion that underpinned a memorable 2019 Ramblin’ Man Fair set — our first experience of Bailey up close and personal as she serenaded a packed blues tent with a compelling cover of Levon Helm’s When I Go Away.

Plenty of time’s passed since that breakout set: by 2024 we’d well and truly jumped aboard the Bailey bandwagon and found ourselves loudly applauding Beneath The Neon Glow.

Back then we said: “Bailey has been waiting to make this remarkable record all of her life. Bettering Beneath The Neon Glow will be her biggest challenge yet.”

But with Can’t Take My Story Away, Bailey’s successfully changed the narrative and switched things up.

It’s a rock and soul record steeped in reassuring authenticity and boasting remarkable depth. Better than Beneath The Neon Glow? It could be.

Growing Roots is Bailey digging deeper

Growing Roots is no grower. It’s better than that: instantly affecting and immediately absorbing.

Bailey hits her stride early doors on Can’t Take My Story Away and the pace never slackens.

Better Days’ uplifting refrain delivers hope and optimism wrapped up in a jaunty, joyous melody.

And the upbeat Angel has the swagger and scope of a 70s film score as Bailey taps into her blues rock roots.

Potashnick deserves significant credit for capturing a generational talent at her shimmering best — he adds just enough polish to make the key moments last.

Expect a red hot partnership to reconvene in the future.

But let’s get back to the present.

Skip to the stripped back Dandelion and listen to Bailey blossom: it’s all about the voice and what a voice.

This isn’t rock but who cares?

It’s a career-defining record that will resonate with anyone and everyone able to appreciate an artist boldly pushing the boundaries.

Can’t Take My Story Away is Bailey telling it like it is. This soul thing suits her.