Marking the return of Gemma Ray (although I can’t say I’d really noticed her absence in all truth) ‘Runaway’ is a song of two distinct parts: the noirish verses that come on like Portishead on Ecstasy, and the sweeping choruses that are pure 60s pop. Both are neatly done, although I’m not entirely convinced they sit so well together.
‘Rescue Me’ pursues the string-soaked, soft-focus 60s sound, which culminates with a cover of the Shangri-La’s ‘Remember Me (Walking in the Sand). The standout track by a mile is the grainy and evocative ‘Lights Out Zoltar!’, the title track from her last albut that actually failed to make the cut for some reason. Whatever, in comparison to the lead track, these songs are deftly penned and adroitly executed, and it’s not hard to see why she’s been bagging herself high-profile support slots and acquiring a respectable fan-base, and unlike other 60s-influenced songstresses – Duffy springs to mind – Gemma Ray can actually sing. Believe me, it helps.
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Gemma Ray Online
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