In listening to Gemma Ray’s newest album, Island Fire, out now on Bronzerat, the word chanteuse comes to mind. Perhaps misrepresentative, since the album isn’t loungy at all, but it is a collection of noir-infused pop songs centered on Ray’s perfectly attuned and full voice. The songs range in style from 50s pop to electronica to dark, electric folk, but maintain a surprisingly cohesive feel with some notable exceptions toward the end of the album.
Island Fire’s opening track is bright and upbeat, a trend that continues for much of the record, even when it’s balanced by more somber elements such as on the album’s first single, “Runaway.” “Runaway” opens with sparse, wavering, minor key guitar notes and a drum loop before shifting into a galloping chorus with major chords. The effect sounds something like pop group The Bird and the Bee.
This vacillating between sweet and serious pervades most of the tracks on the album, though the sugary standout “Rescue Me” emerges as an exception. It’s all pop, with soaring synth strings riding on top and surf-themed guitar strums buried in the mix. The track also features some other-worldly, Theremin-like notes throughout. Clocking in at under three minutes, the track hangs around the perfect length to get stuck in your head and keep you wanting more. The following track, “They All Wanted A Slice,” is almost freak-folk with a chant-like vocal line and classical guitar picking, but also utilizes electronic drum loops. These two songs beside one another prove just how disparate Gemma Ray can be.
It seems that the standard length for albums in today’s market falls around ten songs, and Ray has collected a solid ten here. However, almost categorically, songs 11-14 fall short of the standard she sets earlier on the album. Each features a repetitive refrain and lacks substance. Including these songs among the others strikes me as an odd decision. They’re wildly divergent from the sounds of the first ten and they feel underdeveloped. Unfortunately, this includes a track with the legendary band Sparks, who have previously remixed some of Ray’s work. Island Fire might have ended better on the brassy notes of “I Can See You,” which feels like a closer.
Overall, the record offers some enjoyable moments, convincing vocals, and impressively blended instrumentation. It’s definitely worth a listen for fans of the Bird and the Bee or Jenny Lewis.
