More is more
By Manuel Gemperli
Earlier this year I raved about Worm’s “more is more” approach on their new album “Necropalace”. Their decision to dial it all up to 11 resulted in a thrilling metal masterpiece that revealed more and more details with each listen while still having an immediate impact as well. Don’t worry – I haven’t lost my mind enough (yet) to compare Worm to Raye, but with her new album she shows us that maximalism can be successful in many different ways. Genre constraints be damned. In the proper album opener (and first of many highlights) “I Will Overcome” she mentions how people tell her that she reminds them of Amy. The smash “Where is my husband!” (why is there an exclamation mark!) has the potential to become the “Crazy In Love” of the 2020’s. Would Beyoncé’s and Amy’s love child sound like Raye? It’s too early in her career to compare her to such greats, but it also wouldn’t illustrate the sheer breadth of musical styles she touches on. She uses traits of different genres like masterful chefs use ingredients from different cuisines to compose something new. And she never stands still. There isn’t that soul song, that jazz song or that song that sounds like a movie score on this album. Anything could happen within each song. We go from club to street to bedroom to theater to bar to anywhere, sometimes within one track. This could turn into a complete mess, but the arrangements are so well thought out, so masterfully crafted that every surprising turn never seems out of place. We wouldn't have needed her to verbally list the album credits in the outro to realize that arrangements so imaginative and impeccable require quite a team. And while this is clearly designed to be enjoyed in full, each individual song is strong enough to stand on its own. On top of this beautifully playful celebration of musical diversity is Raye’s voice holding it altogether. She can be dramatic, she can be cool, she can be angry, she can be vulnerable. You know, human in all facets. It’s a bold move to create und unleash an album of this magnitude, not just in style but in length (73 minutes), in a time when people wonder if their TikTok may be a bit too long at 2 minutes. I don’t use the word opus often, but it’s fitting here. Apparently, you can still think big and challenge people even in the mainstream. Can we even call her a “pop” star? If so, she towers over her peers.
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