Before I hit play I want to take a moment to talk about my gratitude for artists who choose to wear their hearts on their sleeves, the ones who dare to create in a vulnerable way, knowing damn well that the honesty of true art is not always appreciated or understood in its intended way, yet, these truly connected individuals continue to pour their souls onto the page, weaving them into beautiful sounds, and absolutely owning the path in which they choose to walk, and that path, for as incredible and filled with appreciation as it may seem to us outsiders, is often the loneliest road to walk.
I woke up today with an email from Tasmanian-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Bully Hay, whose music spans multiple genres, primarily rooted in Australian rock, alternative, and folk-rock. Within this email was a link to his unreleased album titled Anywhere but Here. Now, if you have been paying any attention to my previous thoughts on the first stellar album Bully Hay released called Black Dogs and Songbirds, then you would know that it was my personal album of the year in 2024. So, when I received this email with the new album in tow, well let’s just say right here for the record that I expected nothing but another inspiring, heartfelt, and beautiful album from this wonderful artist.
And now after setting the stage for the show, let us press play…
Already, only twenty-nine seconds into the opening song Lovers Get High and it is clear to me that Bully Hay has been evolving as both a singer and as a songwriter. Coming off his previous album I was expecting this album to start with a slower tempo and work up to where this song is already at. Lovers Get High is a gorgeous way to reintroduce the story-driven music of Bully Hay to the world, and it is exactly the type of song that will boost this musician even further into the stratosphere of artists that we should be paying close attention to. I need to take a moment to research who put this album together…
Alright, so I did expect to see Jeff Martin of The Tea Party on here, because this album has deeply reverent sound, and The Captain was the man behind Black Dogs and Songbirds, but Anywhere but Here was recorded, produced and engineered by Jonathon Coleman (AKA Bully Hay) and his close friend and drummer, Andrew Castles. As for mixing, that would be the incredible work of Christian Pyle and Tony Sayer.
Side note: I just went out to have a coffee in the sun and this song stayed stuck in my head the entire time, and right there is what all musicians hope for, so congratulations on a successful overtaking of my mind.
Following Lovers Get High is the all-to summer playlist ready If You Can’t Forgive Me, Forgive Yourself, a fun song with a serious message. The drumming is the instant star of this track, it just starts fast paced and does not let up, much like those unforgettable Tom Petty songs you listen to on your best road trips.
If You Can’t Forgive Me, Forgive Yourself reminds me a lot of those hit songs of yesteryear. There is some The Cure in here, a bit of The Ramones, perhaps even some Springsteen, but at it’s core it’s all undeniably Bully Hay, and that is the thing about Bully Hay’s music, it is instantly recognizable with his signature vocal style that never fails to impress. All in all, this song is what they would call a banger!
The third song from the album is a cover, or rather, a reimagining of the popular Kate Bush song Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God). First thing I am thinking is what deal do I have to make with Bully Hay to get my hands on that guitar of his, because I am telling you, this may be one of the greatest sounding acoustic guitars I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. The song is a soft, reflective, and very vulnerable moment for the artist. This is not being covered because it is a good song, no, it is clearly being covered because the message found within has reached right through to this conflicted artist’s soul. The song could easily have stayed completely acoustic but near the end both drums and a baseline are introduced to bring the emotional impact of this beautiful song to an even more potent level. Ahhhh, the alchemy of music, it’s ability to keep transmuting into these moments of pure gold.
So far, we are three for three, what will the fourth song bring? Will Bully Hay fail me? Or will he continue to remind me that he deserves to continue to be placed at the top alongside my other favorite artists?
Gently the fourth song titled Trinkets & Coal rolls in with that beautiful melancholy that I have always been a sucker for. Where the first three tracks chose a faster-paced approach, Trinkets & Coal slows everything down and strips everything away to offer us an experience that feels as if it is just us in the room with the artist as he pours out the pain of his heart, the doubts in his mind, and the hope for getting things right, someday. There is a purity here, a raw honesty that reminds me a lot of another incredible Canadian singer named Dallas Green of City and Colour, namely the album titled Sometimes comes to mind. It’s just really that beautiful. The guitars, the emotionally damaging lyrics, the voice…this song has it all. I am going to listen to it a few more times before I move on to the next song.
*Sniffle…..*
Ok, ok….I’m back.
Track five, here we go.
Another Lost Soldier is just so bloody catchy. This may have to be one of the lead singles. I could easily see a music video for this song reaching a very large audience. This song has elements of The Killers, it captures that upbeat darkness that The Killers are known for, like a beautiful juxtaposition of sound that feels right at home in a movie, this song right here is a true gem, with a chorus that is nothing short of addictive. If there was one song on the album that I would ask you to listen to first this would be it, and if you don’t like this song, we can’t be friends…ok, that isn’t true, but I will seriously doubt your music tastes.
When I first heard Bully Hay it was when I heard his now hit song, Wash Off The World. This song was perfect in ever way. The musicianship, the vocals, the mixing and the message were all in sync and divinely aligned, I just really love that song, so when I found out that there was a new version, an acoustic version to be exact, on this album, I was excited to hear what Bully Hay would do to his own song this time around, and what he did was incredible. One thing that this artist clearly understands is the emotional range of his music and the important role his voice plays in the journey of his music. Just in stripping this song down, Bully Hay invites us to truly focus on the poignant message found within the song, and he reminds us that he is not a one-trick pony, but rather an artist with an incredible amount of versatility. An absolute gorgeous track that does not feel at all like album filler.
After a familiar journey to his previous album, Bully Hay take us further down the road with his emotionally distressed song We Can Drive. Starting in with a beautifully moody hymn, We Can Drive descends into some truly dark chords that would be at home in an Alice In Chains song, followed by a chorus that may very well be one of my favorite moments Bully Hay has created so far across both albums. The final act of this song is extremely cinematic and straight up dug into my soul. Yes, this is what music should be.
The soothing sound of rain on a rooftop met by the sound of what I think might be a hurdy-gurdy, which is a bit of a drone instrument, is how we are introduced to the next song, I Can Be Your Lover, so all in all it is a pretty haunting intro. As soon as the acoustic guitar starts to strum the song becomes an almost, sea shanty, of sorts. This song just feels as if it could not have been written by an artist who did not have a deep connection with the ocean. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am. I Can Be Your Lover is a beautiful diary-entry from the complicated artist, a snapshot of a true sentiment, and no doubt will be one of the songs that many listeners will gravitate towards.
I love me a good call-back, that beautiful synchronicity found in a guitar playing out in one chord progression only to echo back to finish the beautiful dance, and Talk Me Off the Edge captures the poetry in such a technique. Talk Me Off the Edge feels very worldly and I am not sure how to explain that more than it feels like the type of song that takes pieces of a few different cultures and weaves them harmoniously together. I must have been put in a trance because I feel like this song ended within a couple minutes, but nope, this song is over four minutes long and did in fact draw me right into its spell.
Here we are, the final song on this incredible new album from Bully Hay, and I am a little sad that the journey is over, I honestly would have loved an album of thirty songs or more, but let’s not get too greedy here, as ten is exactly what this album needed to be.
Here It Comes Again is everything that makes the music by Bully Hay an instant classic. This song does not rush in to get your attention, but rather it takes its time to sink its teeth in and bring you deep into the story, and then it welcomes you along for the ride. It is an ethereal sounding song, one where the guitar is as much the singer as Bully Hay himself. The lyrics are intensely thoughtful, stripped away and vulnerable, and underneath it all is a confidence born from an artist who has survived through a great many emotional fires. I have already listened to this song more than a few times, with a few more times on the way before I finish this review. I honestly could not like this song more.
From what I know about this album is that it was created through some of the hardest times in the artists life. The type of soul-destroying moments that change a man to the core and make him question if he will ever make it through the storm and back to shore, so when I hear an album of this emotional magnitude I am inspired at the sheer strength of the artist and the will he had to bring forth to overcome it all through using art as his therapy.
Anywhere But Here, and I cannot stress this enough, is a perfect album from Bully Hay. I was not worried at all that this artist would disappoint me with this new album, but could this be my next album of the year? It’s early on yet, but this very well could be.
In a world so progressively (regressively) sliding into AI generated music and software heavy bands, it’s inspiring to see that some musicians are still out there walking the traditional path of songwriting.
What else can I really say about this album, more than I think you should put on your best headphones, close your eyes, and enjoy what could very well be one of your new favorite artists, because Bully Hay is one of mine.
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