When they done coming for us they gonna come for you…
The final line from the rap in No Empires! (feat. April Rucker & Civil) says all you need to know about some of the themes that Ray Curenton is trying to get out there, among his faith which he tries to balance with his political and humanitarian thoughts. All wrapped up in a late 80s and 90s r&b pop aesthetic.
And when it pops it fucking pops. I don’t have any problems with people of faith, who find meaning or strength elsewhere. I’m not religious, I don’t believe in anything other than being kind towards each other. Ray has the same ideas. At times the album loses me when it becomes a bit more overt religiously but that is the beauty of music, sometimes it gets you or you get it. That said there is a lot to admire here. Especially the vocals which are top drawer, the harmonies really hit the spot.
What Ray does in the first two tracks really engaged me, I love the sound, the vibe – it has Prince and Lenny Kravitz in there along with more classic inspirations. It’s classy, well arranged, melodic and beautifully produced. It ploughs it’s own furrow from the begging with two absolute bangers.
It then gets into a much more personal area, talking about faith. Loss and rediscovery and I get it. I find faith a difficult concept but to have that and a moral compass seems to be something to admire. Ray tries to navigate between his beliefs which are not singular and he wants to bring everyone together. That’s my take anyway.
My Highlights:
My favorite track is the opener, “Better Place.” As soon as it starts, it absolutely rocks with power and enthusiasm! It’s like musical coffee!
“Believer, a.k.a. The Last Shall Be the First” is at it’s core modern R’n’B with influences of Gospel, Hip-Hop and Funk. The mix is crisp and clear with fantastic vocals by Ray and his guest vocalists. The lyrics deal with topics like self-improvement, community and mental health, while also offering critique of social, economic and political trends in our societies. Now, the lyrics are most of the time deeply religious and I am an atheist.
Personally, I find many songs about faith in a religious sense overly preachy, sometimes even obnoxious in their entitlement to a perfect, unfailing truth. Ray, however, mostly managed to get around this bias of mine. The songs are upbeat and catchy, while still daring to speak truth to power and caring about people.
In a musical sense, the album is fantastic. It simply sounds and feels great while the lyrics are poetic and bring the artists point across. I may not share Ray’s faith, but I certainly respect his conviction to the people around him. Highly recommended!
– Florgoth
Taken from bandcamp…
I decided to stop following the lead of other artists who weren’t doing the things I wanted to do—which I realized was the source of much of my frustration. In writing these songs, I turned off the radio. I disengaged from the streaming playlists, the charts, the trends. And I returned to the music that made me want to create music in the first place: 80s, 90s, and early 00s R&B and urban contemporary gospel music. This is the core of my sound—the soundtrack of my youth. I studied the grooves, the melodies, the hooks, the harmonies, the percussion, the ad-libs, the spirit. And I did my best to channel all of it. The results are pure nostalgia—a passion project of sorts. This album was not designed to be a “hit.” It is a swan song. A love letter to a previous time. May it be just as timeless. – Ray Cureton
Previously…
The Nirvana Fallacy (or, Mania and Her Sophomore Slump) – Saint Louie
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