You See Colours is the second studio album by British rock band Delays, released on 6 March 2006 through Rough Trade Records. The band released their debut studio album Faded Seaside Glamour in early 2004; by the year's end, they had composed 40 songs for its follow-up. Because the band's keyboardist Aaron Gilbert lost the only copies of their demos, lead singer Greg Gilbert decided to let the other members contribute to the writing. You See Colours was recorded at studios Real World, Rockfield, and Dustsucker Sound with producer Graham Sutton. Focusing on indie rock and pop songs, You See Colours spotlights Gilbert's vocals.
You See Colours received generally favourable reviews from critics, some of whom praised the musicianship. The album charted at number 24 in the UK Albums Chart, while its singles "Valentine" and "Hideaway" charted at number 23 and 35 in the UK Singles Chart, respectively. After Delays toured twice in the United Kingdom, in late 2005 and early 2006, "Valentine" was released as the lead single on 20 February 2006. After touring twice in the UK and playing festivals in Europe, "Hideaway" was released as the second single on 9 May 2006.
Background
In April 2004, Delays released their debut studio album Faded Seaside Glamour, which charted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. All three of its singles; "Hey Girl", "Long Time Coming", and "Nearer Than Heaven"; reached the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, with "Long Time Coming" peaking the highest at number 16. In October 2004, the band embarked on a tour in the United Kingdom; one show saw them debut six new songs. The non-album single "Lost in a Melody" was released in November 2004 and it peaked at number 28 in the UK Singles Chart.
At the end of 2004, singer Greg Gilbert said the band had 40 songs for their next album, which was expected for release in early 2005 under the name Action Reaction. By April 2005, the album was reported to be due for release later in the year. The band eventually accumulated 100 songs; keyboardist Aaron Gilbert lost the only copies on the band's demos, forcing Greg Gilbert to let the other members write songs for the band. Delays then spent time in a rehearsal room near Millbrook, Southampton, writing material for their next album. You See Colours was recorded at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, and Dustsucker Sound in Hackney, London, with producer Graham Sutton of Bark Psychosis. The latter and Robbie Nelson acted as engineers, with Sutton mixing the recordings at Dustsucker.
Composition and lyrics
The music of You See Colours has been described as indie rock and pop. In contrast to the guitar-centered sound of Faded Seaside Glamour, You See Colours relies on pop songs and catchy melodies that highlight Gilbert's vocals. Entertainment.ie described the album as "a flurry of Fleetwood Mac songs sung in the style of a teen Brett Anderson [from Suede] with an '80s twist". Six of the album's tracks – "You and Me", "Valentine", "Too Much in Your Life", "Winter's Memory of Summer", "Lillian", and "Waste of Space" – were credited to both Greg and Aaron Gilbert, while the remainder were written solely by Greg Gilbert. The band had help with the arrangements of some of the songs from Trevor Horn ("Valentine"), Duncan Lewis ("Hideaway"), and Jon Kelly ("This Town's Religion" and "Given Time"). Sutton, who helped with some of the synthesizer arrangements, contributed to programming throughout the album.
You See Colours opens with "You and Me", which features strings in the style of Sigur Rós. The song's synthesizer part sets the tone for the rest of the album, separating it from Faded Seaside Glamour and earning a comparison to the music of A-ha. The track concludes with 15 seconds of guitar feedback and bells. Aaron Gilbert had written the string parts in a studio set-up he had in his room at Real World. Greg Gilbert asked for a copy of it and promptly wrote a chorus section. It was the last song to be completed for the album, recorded at Rockfield. "Valentine" is a disco and electronica song whose lyrics were influenced by the band's experience of a hurricane while on tour in the United States. The synthesizer line that opens the song gives way to dance-inspired drums and funk-like scratchy guitar parts. The guitar parts in "This Town's Religion" recall those by U2; bassist Colin Fox referred to it as the "love child of the [Stone] Roses and U2".