Macy Gray - Ruby

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 26 / 11 / 2018

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It may be bonkers, the thought of grimy R&B and smoky jazz songstress Macy Gray releasing her tenth studio album, but, hey folks, it is true! Macy Gray was born Natalie Renée McIntyre on September 6, 1967 and for those not in the know she is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actress, known for her distinctive gruff voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. She has appeared in a number of films, including 'Training Day', 'Spider Man', 'Scary Movie 3', 'Lackawanna Blues', 'Idlewild', 'For Colored Girls' and 'The Paperboy'. Gray is best known for her international hit single 'I Try', taken from her multi-platinum debut album 'On How Life Is'. The lady herself has returned to the good stuff she does whilst keeping it relative and modern for this, 'Ruby', her latesr full-length album. Macy reaffirms and reasserts that rare space in modern music channeling the spirit of the people closest to her heart. and makes a leap forward by looking back to influential inspirations. In this outing though Macy has incorporated the talents of producers Johan Carlsson [Michael Bublé, Maroon 5], Tommy Brown [Jennifer Lopez, Fifth Harmony, Travis Scott] and Tommy Parker Lumpkins [Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber]. That is quite a list of top musicos there I hear you shout, and it's no wonder to be fair as she has to live up to the standard of writing here. Take the first single 'Sugar Daddy', which has been co-written with none other than pop superstar Meghan Trainor. You would expect the result to be jazzy piano with melodic verses that are as syrupy as they are Macy Gray brazen. And you would expect right. As per a lot of her back catalogue, 'Ruby' encompasses a wide spectrum with guttural horns direct from some Blaxploitation movie in the classic 70's-influenced 'Cold World'. and conversely 'Jealousy' spins an envious tale that soars as it seduces. Another collaboration, Gary Clark Jr. adds six-string firepower to 'Buddha'. The album culminates with the reggae-inspired 'Witness', which shuffles between mainland soul and island grooves making this album one of Gray's most passionate, poetic, and powerful for some time. The CD version is a double card effort with a photo of Macy all discoed out on the front and inside. and there is also a leaflet sporting lyrics and credits of which the photography of Guiliano Bekor is of note. Verdict? Absolutely marvelous, of course!

Track Listing:-

1 Buddha
2 Cold World
3 Over You
4 White Man
5 Tell Me
6 Sugar Daddy
7 When It Ends
8 Just Like Jenny
9 Jealousy
10 Shinanigins
11 But He Loves Me
12 Witness

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