Throughout this project from Soldier Rye, the artist fuses blissful electronic soundscapes with mildly infectious melody-lines and a series of moods that make for an enjoyable, easy bit of escapism (or enhancement) for your day.
The title track kicks things off with a particularly colourful and ambient backdrop, a sort of dreamlike moment of deep thought with a flicker of Daft Punk about it. Cookie Cutter follows and is an easy stand out for its rhythmic bounce, its joyful aura, and this notably pop-like hint of recognizability. It’s an uplifting and quite comforting piece of music with a cool and slightly retro collection of samples and riffs. Think Owl City if they stumbled upon a jazz-club and the energy of the moment took over them.
The pace and intensity pick up a little for Time Waits For No One. The opening instrumental rhythm contrasts with the delicacy and smoothness of the vocals and those alternative synths. The track evolves to showcase a structurally brilliant development, creative and expressive, moving from one moment of darkness and depth to another of possibility and hope. There’s emotion and something slightly organic at work here, underlining a new side to the artist early on. A personal highlight for its unusual nature and the fact that it works, it captivates, even with such an uncommon appearance. The main vocal, the evolution, the female vocal harmonies and the beat all help build a level of passion and entrancing vibrancy that’s quite addictive.
Soldier Rye’s eclecticism as an artist is impressive on this project, yet at the same time – it never strays too far from those all important threads. These are generally the vocal effects, the layers of ambiance, and the poetically reflective lyrics. Tomorrow is nothing like what came before and yet provides a fitting beauty and strength in its own right. This is another personal favourite, it’s distinctly stylish and carefully walks the line between the electronic and organic worlds, adding soul to the process but keeping things fresh and unpredictable at the same time. It also brings through one hell of a melodic ear-worm.
Moving things along is a track called 9th Sign – this takes on something of an indie-funk vibe with a laid back subject matter to match. Rye showcases his ability to craft and perform musical journeys in just about any setting. We Found Us afterwards keeps the mood similar but brings back that rhythmically gentle, creative ambiance-style that started things off. The keys and the tripped-up twist of the beat back up the gentle jazz and funk of the moment.
Comfortable is a song that feels a little deeper than the couple that came before, the aura from the offset draws you in for its personal, honest feel. The lyrics follow suit and the artist manages to have you hanging on every word – most probably dwelling on your own reactions to them and your own thoughts or memories of a similar love. The honesty here is key, it’s unapologetic and the song feels very real as a consequence.
Eyes Of Love takes things a tad more seriously, the mood leans in a partly Depeche Mode direction. The soundscape is dramatic and the vocals feel distant, hypnotic in their subtle melodic outpouring. Afterworld follows and brings the project to a relevantly colourful, creatively free finish.
This last song brings together the artist’s unique production style and a thought provoking subject matter. The beat is distinctly original, calm yet manic all at once, and the song itself is softly heartfelt. Rye’s performance is stunning, subtle but mesmerising. The piece seeks quite successfully to sweep you off your feet at the final hurdle. There’s something very pure and beautiful about the way the whole thing has been built. A great way to go out and a lasting reminder of the identity and eclecticism of this album. An easy addition to the long term playlist.
Find & follow Soldier Rye on Facebook & Instagram. Visit his Website for more information.
