Celebrating 200 Years
CULTURE

“This Music May Contain Hope” convinced me that hope is still out there

At the end of January, London-based singer-songwriter Raye announced the release of her second album, “This Music May Contain Hope,” and I have been eagerly awaiting its arrival ever since. Within a few minutes of its release on March 27, I sat down and listened to what would become one of the best albums I have heard in the past year.

Raye began promoting the album back in September with the release of “Where Is My Husband!” which instantly became a personal favorite. This song was my first introduction to Raye’s music, and I think I accounted for approximately 50% of her streams afterward, so you can imagine my excitement when the album was announced.

“This Music May Contain Hope” is broken up by the seasons, starting in fall and ending in summer. The opening track, “Intro: The Girl Under the Grey Cloud,” perfectly encapsulates the theatrical themes found throughout each “season.” I mean, starting the song with “Our story begins at 2:27 a.m. on a rainy night in Paris/ Cue the thunder” and then including literal thunder and music that could’ve been in the opening scene of the movie “Clue” is objectively a phenomenal choice. I immediately felt enticed by the album and needed to find out what would happen next.

The next fall song is “I Will Overcome.” This track picks up at the end of the intro, with Raye trying to make her way back to her place in Paris, drunk and haunted by her past lovers. As she walks, she thinks of her sadness, with the song acting as a reminder that she will, in fact, overcome this hurdle — she just needs to get through this dark cloud. The song is backed by a beautiful, dramatic orchestra, mimicking the storm Raye has found herself in.

Following the autumnal theme, “Beware.. The South London Lover Boy” and “The WhatsApp Shakespeare” warn everyone against ever moving to London for its dating scene. The former begins with an eerie caution about a creature: The South London Lover Boy. However, immediately after the warning, we are thrown into a big band-inspired melody that makes me want to aggressively snap my fingers and tap my foot.

“The WhatsApp Shakespeare” also carries an unsettling tone. Throughout the song, Raye uses Shakespearean references to portray the smooth talker who convinced her that he actually cared about her. Raye carries the album’s theatrical nature through the song, even ending the song with “No one did die in the story,/ But I did inside when I found/ I was one of seven other leading ladies/ Starring in the new romantic thriller.”

From here, the album transitions into winter, opening with “Winter Woman.” This section features the album’s slower, melodic songs. My favorite had to be “I Know You’re Hurting” just for Raye’s vocals alone. The ballad’s chorus features powerful, booming drums and guitar, along with the emotion and energy that Raye carries as she sings.

Another showstopper from winter was “Click Clack Symphony (feat. Hans Zimmer).” The song’s ending sounds like it could be featured in an action-packed movie trailer, which makes sense, seeing how Zimmer is known for his movie soundtracks, especially for classic action movies like “Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Interstellar.”

Spring brings on a seemingly happier yet self-deprecating feel, with jazz and R&B inspirations bleeding through the production. This section is my favorite — I am a sucker for anything jazzy, and Raye’s lyrics are profound and hysterical at the same time.

“I Hate The Way I Look Today” starts off the section with some of the most relatable lyrics. She sings: “I hate the way I look today/ I know it seems so sad to say/ But today it’s true and it was such a shame/ That I looked into the mirror and I cried.” Now, imagine these lyrics backed with upbeat drums and, eventually, a saxophone solo. Later on in the song, Raye embodies Roxie Hart by calling on men to sing for her. Truly, such a fun song to bop your head to.

“Goodbye Henry (feat. Al Green)” and “Nightingale Lane” are the sadder songs in this section as she sings about heartbreak and the loss that comes with it. However, unlike her more mellow  songs at the beginning, Raye takes a positive approach to the pain. In “Goodbye Henry,” Raye wishes her former love the best and recognizes the privilege of getting to love them in the first place. On the other hand, in “Nightingale Lane,” she sings “Somebody loved me once/ And someday, somebody will again/ Like the way you/ Loved me/ On Nightingale Lane.” She acknowledges that while these heartbreaks cut deeply, she will find love again.

Making it to the final section, summer, feels like a release of all the darkness that Raye fought through during the colder seasons. Each song feels like sunshine on your cheeks on a warm May day.

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The highlight, and honestly, a great representation of the album’s theme, is “Joy (feat. Amma & Absolutely).” This gospel-inspired song just makes me want to dance and clap my hands. With lyrics like “I may cry through the night, but my joy comes in the morning,” I am reminded of “I Will Overcome,” only, in the beginning, she is trying to convince herself of this statement. Now, after going through the album’s ups and downs, she can confidently say that she will find joy and come out on the other side.

Raye wraps up the album with “Happier Times Ahead.” In the song, she describes different people around London who are going through the same hardships as her, but reminds listeners everyone must cherish the life they have and remember to have faith that things will get better.

While “Happier Times Ahead” is the last song, the final track, “Fin,” serves as the album's end credits, listing everyone who worked on it. I appreciated this touch — I have never seen an artist so publicly thank their team, and I thought it was very telling of Raye’s character.

I am so beyond grateful to have this album in my life. Few artists — at least ones I listen to — have been able to tell a complete story through an album, and I feel like Raye told a compelling story of grief, depression, love and, most importantly, hope. To know that there will be light at the end of the tunnel is a powerful message that speaks to the human experience.

Raye took me on a journey. I laughed, I cried, I danced and best believe I clapped. I couldn’t recommend this album enough — it would be impossible.

Rating: 9.5/10

pedenae@miamioh.edu

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