Album Review: Ry X - Unfurl

With his profound and unmistakably timeless debut album, 'Dawn', the question would always present itself, where next? The answer was simple for Ry X. Remaining true to his raw sound and the exploration of his aching vulnerabilities, 'Unfurl' rises from its ashes in glorious decor, each electronic bleep and airy breathe expelled from his lungs in transcending fashion. "The inspirations change each time, and I always want to allow that process to be free, to draw on new ideas and sounds and instrumentation", he explains "what feels consistently important to me is keeping a sense of rawness and honesty in the work".

That statement is one that plays true throughout the record. From its ambient intro to Untold's wide-scale wails and spacious openings, Ry X continues to give in to his innermost pain. His embroiled emotions and suffering are relived in almost sadistic fashion for our consumption, and we love him for it - each chord change and saddened stringed section dragging us deeper in to his spell. The first real change on the record comes in the form of YaYaYa as we hear guitar for the first time. A contrast amongst the vast and sweeping synth pad textures and resonating soundscapes that populate the LP. With each listen the instrumentation only gets richer as the intricate layering reveals hushed percussion, piano, what appears to sound like Xylophone and bustling tribal-esque vocals.

Elsewhere, Hounds is another bitter-sweet, meticulous effort that shows just how powerful the quiet can be as we witness the Australia-born, LA-based songwriter in his purest form. Slow burning, its quaint strings soon begin to circulate around his broken vocal rasps, rising up to deliver a knockout blow on its finale



Upbeat isn't something that comes naturally to Ry Cuming, and Foreign Tides is probably the closest we'll ever get to it. As quick as the bright guitar and pulsing percussion unfold, Ry finds himself immediately backtracking to a familiar ground as the intimate and delicate work of The Water slowly ebbs to life. The record is awash with these lamenting tones and bereft despondency, and yet it still continues to breathe life, its elongated closing track giving you one last cathartic release.

Underpinned by pulsating electronic percussion, sorrowing grief and melancholy that nobody could remotely match, 'Unfurl' will no doubt become another timeless art form, despite its on times repetitive tones.

RY X's new album 'Unfurl' will be released on February 15th via Infectious Music.
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