RITA RAY (born: Kristi Raias) is a blue eyed soulstress from Estonia and we had been launched to her late final yr by way of the energetic and catchy single ‘Disco Stu’. We reported it as a “pleasing disco romp with hints of one of the best of the Philly sound”… sure, a really respectable little dancer and a veiled tribute to the Simpsons – sure to get toes tapping!
What ‘Disco Stu’ did not do although was to arrange us for the really soulful high quality of Ms Ray’s album which has simply been launched. The mini assortment – simply eight tracks – is known as ‘Our Love Will Rust’ and one eminent soul commentator mentioned that on first listening to it, it gave him a rush of goose bumps! Nicely, possibly I am a bit outdated for the outdated goose bumps, however ‘Our Love Will Rust’ has an enormous speedy impression with a lot of the cuts very totally different, weightier and extra correctly soulful than the just about throwaway ‘Disco Stu’.
The LP’s title observe is an actual magnificence… a kind of mid-tempo ballad, it attracts its inspiration from the studios of Memphis and Muscle Shoals and there is extra of the identical on the equally beautiful however slower ‘Shedding It’. The catchiest reduce is the chinking, foot-tapping, head-nodding ‘How A lot Can A Small Coronary heart Take’ however dip in anyplace right here and you will get pleasure from high quality, convincing blue-eyed soul.
How greatest to explain it? Nicely for a begin, Rita has some voice! She and her producers (led by Martin Laksberg of Lexsoul Dancemachine) additionally perceive what soul is all about and between them they create a sound that marries traditional soul sensitivities with trendy concepts – a lot the identical approach as Amy Winehouse did and because the Daptone crew do. Really helpful!