RY X - BERLIN EP (INFECTIOUS MUSIC UK) RELEASED - NOV 27, 2013.
Australian born singer songwriter Ry Cumming creates a work of variation in this 4 track cluster. Under the stage name of RY X, he has managed to produce a track worthy enough of Sony TV advertising campaign bosses with the title track 'Berlin'. Chances are you've probably heard it on the Sony ad yourself recently. This has surely enough made his music more accessible for the masses and lets face it, he probably gets some pretty cool TV's bunged into his contract signing conditions too. In similar fashion we heard Jose Gonzalez do the same with his impressive 'Heartbeats' a few years back and that track combined with the ad definitely had a positive impact on his career. Besides the TV selling qualities this release from RY X isn't entirely unique or original but still holds the quality of a pretty decent bunch of songs. Atmospheric simplistic guitar and crashing symbols beside a tenor vocal create immediate associations with Bon Iver and Keaton Henson. These ingredients make the songs both respectable but imitative. Is there an obvious connection of influence? I'm not entirely sure. There has been a growing collection of artists attempting a similar sound of late and I cant help but feel that it might not work for them in the long run. But on the other hand saying that, if the music is good, it really shouldn't matter and I think that the 'Berlin EP' sits in that category. It doesn't seem to have an identity of its own somehow. The arrangements are varied and contain obscurity in the track 'Shortline' with an eerie electric guitar sound thats followed by a modest beat and some humble vocal work in 'Vampires'. This has to be the stand out track on here for me. Followed by a tender piano and a genuine aching that emerges from RY X in the last track 'Wanderlust', finishing the EP in a theatrical manner. Overall this collection of songs are not ranked among others that you desperately need in your collection but are just quite nice to listen to if you get a chance. 'Berlin EP' is quite simply a suitable assembly to hear around this time of year.
Gareth Hack
5/12/2013.
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