Gemma Ray - The Exodus Suite

by Lisa Torem

published: 15 / 5 / 2016

Label: Bronzerat records
Format: CD

Evocative seventh album from British singer-songwriter and composer, Gemma Ray

Review

Gemma Ray was significantly impacted by “the presence of 6,000 Syrian refugees housed in the hangar beneath the studio” when she recorded ‘The Exodus Suite’. You will hear much of her angst and astonishment on the eleven tracks, on which she holds little back. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Gemma plays guitar, Mellotron and organ and is accompanied by Andrew Zammit and Carwyn Ellis. The album is divided into two parts and comes in various formats - the vinyl version includes ‘The Calderas” on 7 inch. ‘Como Caldera’ is the short, evocative ballad which jumpstarts ‘The Exodus Suite’. On it, her vocals are pure and strong. On ‘There Must Be More Than This’, she delves much more deeply into her homegrown terrain. It is driven by a punchier bass and she demonstrates more free-spiritedness and a wider range. Harmonies and strings add more colour, although the beginning keys struggle to touch land until the tune gains momentum and they sparkle. ‘The Original One’ has a satisfying retro feel. It is simply executed and it forces time to slow down. ‘We Do War’ is introduced by shimmering guitar. “I was once a primitive thing/I was once tissue and blood,” she sings warmly. As the lyrics get deeper and more thought-provoking, Gemma’s range excels too. In ‘Ifs and Buts,’ she waxes about people who wallow in regrets. She launches into an intelligent narrative whilst maintaining her cool. Electric guitar and organ are feisty, with booming bass not far behind. When her inflections are mirrored by guitars, the result is sublime. ‘We Are All Wandering’ is ethereal with layers of appealing harmonies, ‘Acta Non Verba’ is a stirring instrumental and ‘Hail Animal’ suffers from sluggishness, but on ‘The Switch’ she recaptures her focus: “We all want to turn off the switch, the long-suffering itch…” “I fell inside the machine, the doors were frozen behind me,” she states in ‘The Machine’. This is one well-balanced arrangement, filled with clarity and originality, and which strikes a keen balance between soulful and meditative. “Close your eyes, you’re only dreaming,” Gemma sings charmingly in ‘Shimmering’. It’s a beauty, which allows the mind to wander into mysterious places. Bonus track, ‘Caldera, Caldera’ is bouncy and terrific - an intelligent closing statement, inviting us back for more.

Track Listing:-

1 Come Caldera
2 There Must Be More Than This
3 The Original One
4 We Do War
5 Ifs & Buts
6 We Are All Wandering
7 Acta Non Verba
8 Hail Animal
9 The Switch
10 The Machine
11 Shimmering
12 Caldera, Caldera!

Band Links:-

http://gemmaray.tv/
https://www.facebook.com/gemmaraymusic
https://twitter.com/gemmaraymusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/GemmaRayT
https://www.instagram.com/gemma_ray/
http://theonlywayisgemmaray.tumblr.com