'Anywhere But Here' Album Review in Sleeping Bag Studios

Bully Hay – Anywhere But Here – Album Review

Believe it or not, I’m human. I make mistakes like everyone else. I’m not infallible. All I can do is do the best I can, but I’m just as guilty as anyone else of falling short of the mark at times. Like, for instance – you know how they say ‘we eat with our eyes?’ That’s applicable to more than food…it’s really more of a statement on how we perceive and how we judge long before we know what something is actually all about. So yeah…when I saw the name Bully Hay…I had some questions to say the least. Real talk – that name sounds like code for cowboy if you ask me…so truthfully, I was braced for some Country tunes. As I continued to scan all the information I had about the guy before I pushed play on Bully’s new record, I saw another…hmm…let’s call it an ‘item of concern’ – a title that read “Running Up That Hill” – and c’mon, that can ONLY be one song, right? It’s not going to be an original…it’ll be another cover of one of the most covered songs on the planet…one that I’ve pretty much never felt goes all too well for those that dare to attempt it, with the rare exception of say like, maybe Placebo. Anyhow. Where eating with our eyes becomes problematic whether it’s food, life, or music etc., is that if we’re not careful, we can trick ourselves out of enjoying something that’s uniquely remarkable before we even got a real taste for what it can offer us. I’m so damn glad I pushed play on Anywhere But Here…this album is genuinely award-worthy.

I should have known better to second guess the man…he’s from Australia, where half the music I love most comes from.

Does that mean he nailed Kate Bush’s legendary hit “Running Up That Hill?” It was the very first song I listened to out of sheer curiosity after spotting it in the lineup…but yeah…hang tight…we’ll get to that…

…for now, it’s best to start at the beginning, ain’t it?

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