Moses Sumney – græ: Part 1
(Jagjaguwar Records)
Reviewed by Sam Smith.
It has been two years since American electro-soul singer Moses Sumney stole the show at Laneway 2018. His falsetto soared across Albert Park, turning heads in the direction of the Rotunda Stage and converting many to his ethereal style of R&B. Now in 2020, Sumney is about to turn even more heads with the release of part one of his two-part second album græ.
Following on from his debut album Aromanticism in 2017, Sumney has decided here to change things up and release his sophomore project in two parts. The second will arrive in May, but for now, we get twelve songs that take in everything from jazz to soul to Prince-like R&B.
græ: Part 1 as it is known unofficially, is everything you would expect from a Moses Sumney album and more. There are lush arrangements with both string and horn sections, delicate piano flourishes, dramatic spoken word and pre-recorded sample segments as well as vocal acrobats exactly of the sort Sumney displayed at Laneway two years ago.
Sumney’s vocals are an absolute highlight, dominating across the twelve tracks and pretty much owning the entire album. His vocals are at times breathtaking in their delivery with Sumney shining on the likes of ‘Virile’, ‘Gagarin’, and ‘Neither/Nor’.
His ability to mix things up stylistically throughout this album is also impressive. As a listener, græ: Part 1 is like a journey style-wise, as Sumney moves from Nina Simone-like jazz, to anthemic R&B, to Bjork-esque electronic. There are no limits stylistically here, and it seems anything goes where Moses Sumney is concerned. It is this aspect of the record which makes Sumney a nightmare for reviewers as it is very hard to box him into one specific genre as he is an artist who covers a lot of ground style-wise.
Sumney has been around for about six years and until now has been finding his feet as an artist in an R&B and soul space that is often full to the brim with artists. However, with græ: Part 1, he has managed to take his alternative style of soul and R&B to another level and in the process create a record that could just be the making of him.
It is often hard to break through to the mainstream as an alternative artist within a style so often dominated by big-name artists making what I would describe as traditional soul and R&B. Sumney though appears ready to make the jump and I do hope he does gain some traction with this release as his voice deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. It is that good.
If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.