ALBUM REVIEWS
Since making his debut in 2014, it’s been clear that Loyle Carner’s music has been somewhat of a diary for the British-Guyanese rapper. 2017’s breakthrough ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ tackled the emptiness that comes with grief, 2019’s ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ explored pressures of being in the public eye, and the critically acclaimed ‘Hugo’ in 2022 pondered identity and heritage.
Fair to say, light-hearted themes have never been the lyrical maverick’s main focus, but the heavier ones have established him as one of the most rousing rap artists in recent memory. If past releases were a way of articulating life’s hardships, fourth album ‘Hopefully!’ finds Carner coming to terms with them. While still grounded in introspection, the 11 tracks capture a more optimistic outlook than usual and see the songwriter start to embrace other genres.
Uplifting indie inflections are introduced in tracks like ‘In My Mind’ and ‘All I Need’, with Carner writing and recording alongside a live band for the first time. Similarly, songs like ‘Strangers’ see him turn his focus to singing instead of rapping – letting the feeling created speak louder than a myriad of words. It’s a departure from his comfort zone, but leaning into this makes lyrics like “How much pressure on a man before he breaks / my heart aches, trying to find a way to ease the pain” hit on a deeper level.
While there is an obvious rose-tinted outlook in album four, that isn’t to suggest that the South London artist has blindly opted to move on from previous burdens. Genuine concerns around fatherhood are explored on ‘About Time’ (“My son needs a father, not a rapper / can I give him what he’s after?”), and the title track features a posthumous appearance from mentor Benjamin Zephaniah, exploring unexpected loss.
It’s become Loyle Carner’s signature to let emotive topics rise to the surface. This time though, instead of falling into melancholy, they are greeted with understanding and patience. ‘Hopefully!’ may not be a black-and-white ‘feel-good’ record, but in embracing these nuances side by side, Carner delivers his most mature output yet.
His lyrics and instrumentals may be more intricate than before, but they come together more coherently than ever. This isn’t just Loyle Carner at his most refined, it is the start of a new chapter. As for what may come next, the answer is probably best explained in the lyrics to ‘Time To Go’: “Who am I supposed to be today? I don’t know / All I can do is take it slow.”
ALBUM REVIEWS
Grandeur sits at the heart of ‘This Music May Contain Hope’, RAYE’s second album, and the result feels nothing short of breathtaking. On this record, the singer born Rachel Keen explores a wide spectrum of sounds across its 73 minute length, moving from emotional ballads to lively funk moments and the jazz pop style she has become closely associated with. It can feel overwhelming at first, yet the magic that comes from RAYE fully committing to her vision makes the experience rewarding from start to finish.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’, a conceptual project about pushing through insecurity and heartbreak, unfolds like a lavish stage production. RAYE takes on the dual role of main character and guiding voice throughout the story. “Allow me to set the scene. Our story begins at 2:27am on a rainy night in Paris. Cue the thunder,” she says during the opening track ‘Girl Under The Grey Cloud’, which arrives with sweeping orchestral strings. Spoken passages appear across the album, helping shape the narrative and giving the project a sense of direction, almost like hearing the official recording of a Broadway show.
With this framework in place, the South London artist allows herself to fully explore the album’s diverse musical palette, and most of the time it works in her favor. Sometimes she fully embraces the theatrical side of the concept, especially during the closing section of the smooth R&B track ‘The WhatsApp Shakespeare’. Other moments are delivered more straightforwardly, such as the emotional slow building ballad ‘I Know You’re Hurting’. She also revisits her earlier dance influences with the impressive house track ‘Life Boat’.
Across the entire album, two things stand out clearly. RAYE’s flexible vocals sound better than ever, and her songwriting feels sharper than it has before. Take the playful highlight ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, a swing jazz inspired track reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, where she admits “I’m okay to be lonely / If I’m lonely and skinny / I have such silly self-loathing thoughts, it seems”. Then there is the emotional storytelling in ‘Nightingale Lane’: “It was right there, early June / Next to Old Park Avenue / Standing in the rain, I watched him walk away”.
Despite all the vulnerability and emotional struggles explored throughout the record, RAYE ultimately reaches a place of optimism, staying true to the album’s title. She gathers her close friends on ‘Click Clack Symphony’ with support from Hans Zimmer, finds closure with guidance from Al Green on the smooth seventies soul inspired ‘Goodbye Henry’, and reaches toward something greater alongside her sisters Amma and Absolutely on the uplifting ‘Joy’ as she searches to be “free of all the pain and every fear”. After the stormy opening imagery of that “rainy night” and “thunder”, RAYE eventually realizes that “the sun exists behind the clouds”, as she shares on ‘Happier Times Ahead’.
‘This Music May Contain Hope’ shows RAYE performing at her absolute peak. The album feels huge in scale and emotionally powerful, yet it remains rooted in honest experiences and real feelings. Yes, it asks a lot from the listener, but that is also what makes it so special. Every dramatic moment and musical shift feels like RAYE claiming her independence and finally creating music entirely on her own terms.
