To date, Saya Gray has stopped just short of assembling a body of work that realises the eclectic brilliance hinted at through her singles and EPs. On ‘SAYA’, her debut album proper, the self-described “vagabond” is more focused and deliberate with her songwriting choices, cementing her status as an original, exciting voice in modern pop even if a reliance on certain tropes puts her squarely in the same ballpark as her contemporaries.
Much of ‘SAYA’ is so languid as to almost be lethargic, but quirks in both the production and Gray’s captivating voice help elevate Puddle (Of Me) and H.B.W., which opens with trap drums that wouldn’t sound out of place on any other modern pop album. This Is Why (I Don't Spring 4 Love) has a country base as it opens, Gray whispering and crooning over ambling, blown-out drums.
Elsewhere, Line Back 22 is an experiment in atmospheric minimalism, with washes of harmonised vocalisations and occasional guitar flicks providing something approaching a hook until its closing moments, where clattering drums take over.
There are shades of St Vincent and Kate Nash here, while you can draw a straight line to Björk in Gray’s embrace of atypical writing and her willingness to skirt around something as gauche as identifiable structure.
This isn’t a criticism. ‘SAYA’ benefits greatly from this out-there approach, keeping Gray firmly on her own path despite the odd moment where more typical instrumentation takes hold.
Equally, lyrics tackling familiar subjects are given life by her framing, with lines drenched in reverb or whisper-sung. This record doesn’t give up its secrets upon first listen, relying on patience and a desire to see beneath its calm surface to reveal a complex, deeply insular heart.
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