Raye’s ‘My 21st Century Blues’ Review: Rebirth

metroweekly.com:

My 21st Century Blues (★★★★☆).Her first full-length album is an impressive debut that not only shows off the strengths we already knew she possessed, but shows what she’s capable of when she has free rein.The first indication that Raye was really onto something came with “Escapism,” Raye’s first single to chart internationally.

The song’s trip-hoppy beat clips along at a brisk, tense pace, underscoring the feeling of running away toward better things.The rest of the album is just as meticulously crafted and has a sense of timelessness about it, helped along by the way she bookends the album with a cabaret-like intro and outro.Raye’s songwriting is as edgy and fresh as any R&B-inflected pop, but its instrumentation and production is deeply indebted to the best of British jazz and soul.

Her ability to bring those two strands together can be heard clearly in the tense strings and bumping synths of “Hard Out Here” and the sense of cinematic drama of “The Thrill is Gone,” released concurrently with “Escapism.”A deeply personal album from beginning to end, My 21st Century Blues allows Raye to flex her talent as a writer.

Even in her vulnerable moments, her delivery is impeccable as she lands poignant observations and revelations with an ear for detail, often allowing them to unfold over catchy beats that draw you in and demand attention.She pulls this off flawlessly on “Body Dysmorphia,” offering up stark observations on impossible beauty standards and the stress they cause her over a hypnotic R&B rhythm.