Surrender

RÜFÜS DU SOL's 4th LP is a step backwards from their previous releases. Sonically, "Surrender" is lighthearted. They double down on the high-pitch synths, and project a glossy tone that enacts a journey of ascension. The writing and vocal performances thematically match this focus - the cover art aligns too. Although Surrender's artistic presence is well defined, I am disappointed with its execution.

The diversity of instruments is fair, but the euphoric soundstage is already a saturated market. RÜFÜS fails to distinctify their efforts enough for me to return. In the rare occasions where they extended their instrumental boundaries, it feels out of place - The children's choir on "Make it Happen" is a prominent example. But Surrender's beats are far from a failure, and it's not the project's major flaw. Although I'd consider this album relatively safe, the trio continues to present tracks with strong pacing. There are fantastic moments of intensity and subtlety. In short, the album is still instrumentally great.

The main problem with "Surrender” falls on the vocalist, Tyrone Lindqvist. The writing is crowded with cliché imagery. And similar to my issues with the production’s diversity, the band also doubles down on its attempt to match this euphoric goal with lyrical themes of heaven, love, joy etc. The writing dives into bland themes and offers nothing new. Lastly, I've mentioned in previous reviews that their production stretches beyond the vocal capabilities. "Surrender" exposes this issue more than any release yet.

RÜFÜS's songs are a journey. Tracks traditionally average out to ~5 minutes. Their most well-received and popular song, "Innerbloom" (off of their album "Bloom") extends past the 9-minute mark. Take this song as an example of their diligence to stamp their identity on the progressive house sub-genre. It's detailed, polished, and diverse. It's punctual subtlety beautifully evolves. The writing and vocal performance perfectly exemplify the "less is more" concept. While the vocalist is more prominent in the beginning of the song, the instrumentation remains in the driver's seat. Lindqvist is naturally more present in the beginning as the beat continues to slowly develop. By the halfway mark, Lindqvist fades and re-appears in blips to repeat some lines, and the beat is flourishing with waves of unique and pleasantly sounding instruments. Although vocalists tend to traditionally dominate the user's attention, the vocals on innerbloom could even be considered a background instrument - a layer to an evolving journey. The result is a timeless sound with virtually infinite replay value. Innerbloom's composition exemplifies the capability of RÜFÜS's creativity and footprint.

While that track may be the most unique song they've created, thus making it difficult for comparison, it is essential to note the notion of treating a vocalist as another instrument. They've achieved a powerful sound when inputting vocals with equal weight to the rest of the instruments we experience. Some of my favorite songs to date from RÜFÜS follow this concept, including the most critically praised songs from this 2021 release (Check out "Alive"). Unfortunately, this latest project collectively shifts the focus towards a glossier tone that's lead by vocals more than ever before, jeopardizing the attributes that made me an avid fan over the past few years.

Favorite Tracks: Next To Me, Alive, Surrender
Least Favorite: Make it Happen, See You Again, Always, On My Knees