Soul by way of Sade, electronic reverence to early Warp artists, jazz and classical resonance through musical inclinations, Blood retains a contemporary yet future-proof vibe.
The year is new, but Blood is already a contender for album of the year. In 2017 everyone just talked about 2017 all the time, in 2018 let’s just talk about peace and vibes, and Blood.
Some bands are lucky and talented enough to find a format that works and just make hay with it. Rhye are plainly in love with their formula on Blood. The result is a finely balanced gem.
Milosh has been talking up the differences between this and Woman, Rhye’s debut ... but all bar the closest listeners will be happy to hear something that could pass for Woman Part II, for all that it’s played on live instruments.
While beautiful and engrossing, it doesn’t have a whole lot new to say. Woman made an impact because it was an album practically devoted to a happy, loving relationship. In a world of breakup bangers, it felt fresh. The themes tackled on Blood have been tackled a million times, so the album is much more reliant on how it tells the story than what the story is.
The album feels effortless and comfortable, and never feels needs to flaunt its coolness, stripping back some of the more electrifying elements in favor of something that feels even more intimate than the debut.
If Woman sometimes felt like a pastiche of Sade, Blood feels like a pastiche of Woman. Every detail is accentuated, every gesture exaggerated.
He did enlist a full range of musicians for Blood and the increase in production values shows ... But it also formalizes some of the sensual spontaneity of Woman, as he puts forth a lavish, spotless output that also suffers from some seriously tasteless lyrical choices.
Like Woman ... Blood is essentially mood music, and its nuances -- from string arrangements that create a sense of expectancy, to deftly rich basslines -- invite repeat play.
Fans of Woman might derive some enjoyment from this, but anyone hoping for more evolution may be disheartened by how frequently Milosh plays it safe.
It’s not that Blood is bad, or that Rhye is making bad music. Nevertheless, what defines this album is its limits: Milosh’s predictable and safe vocals, repetitive musical motifs, uninventive and often trite lyrics that probably work better as late night texts or Tinder pickup lines.
TRACK LIST:
Waste (7.8)
Taste (7.5)
Feel Your Weight (7.8)
Please (8.0)
Count To Five (7.8)
Song For You (7.0)
Blood Knows (8.0)
Stay Safe (7.0)
Phoenix (7.0)
Softly (7.0)
Sinful (6.9)
indo pro segundo álbum da banda, continuando com os mesmos estilos... e sim, isso cria um problema.
o álbum é de sophisti-pop e alternative rnb, e não me leve a mal, o estilo da banda continua sendo charmoso e é gostosinho de se ouvir. diria entretanto que... eles não parecem ter mudado mto de estilo, mto menos inovado.
o instrumental continua do mesmo jeito, mas como sempre eu defendo álbuns assim pois eu tenho um fraco por isso. o ... read more
Solid grooves and a sultry sigh provide great background music to chill to. Could also be great come down music if you have the need, just not sure if there's enough substance or depth to bring you back if you're not in the mood.
Standouts: Please, Waste, Count to Five
1 | Waste 3:31 | |
2 | Taste 3:45 | |
3 | Feel Your Weight 3:09 | |
4 | Please 3:35 | |
5 | Count To Five 3:28 | |
6 | Song For You 3:58 | |
7 | Blood Knows 3:30 | |
8 | Stay Safe 4:52 | |
9 | Phoenix 4:34 | |
10 | Softly 3:37 | |
11 | Sinful 4:03 |
#10 | / | KCRW |
#13 | / | Gaffa (Denmark) |
/ | Esquire (UK) |