SAYA, Album No. 4 from Saya Gray
Saya Gray’s latest record, SAYA, is in its own lane. One look at the cover — a wire coil obscuring one eye, hair coiffed in idiosyncratic chignons and strands, editorial makeup and a legion of chunky earrings — is more than enough to see her commitment to standing out. Along that vein, I expected a not-so-easy listen. The first track proved me dead wrong. “THUS IS WHY” is a far cry from the standard pop formula, yet it would fit right into the soundtrack of a streaming-only coming-of-age teen drama. Its hypnotically catchy chorus is separated with a mournful cry of “Indigo / Where were you when I needed you most?” All the while, gritty guitar, rippling electric tones and bubble pop effects weave finely together into a silk of sound.
This kind of texture and a general playfulness with the layers of music is a fast track to my adoration. In large part, that’s why I found Billie Eilish’s debut “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” so appealing. In Gray’s “H.B.W,” I hear a similar brand of bass-driven breathiness, though with a less adolescent flavor. In the lyrics, Saya processes her “heartbreak wake” (H.B.W) with a poet’s pen. The title is an interesting case study for her collection of evocative metaphors. Is a heartbreak wake a wash of emotion? One where it’s as if Gray floats near her speedboat lover, from whom she was unable to obtain a “free ride?” Or is a heartbreak wake a kind funereal love ritual? Perhaps, akin to the one described in the line, “Thеre’s a graveyard in my dreams / I lay a flowеr once a week for you and me.”
As is evident from the colossal gap between my description of these two songs, Saya Gray has range. An album that sounds very same-y can struggle to capture my attention span, yet SAYA is the complete opposite. Even when put on in the background, I’m drawn back to my Spotify window to compare each song and tease out where each may fit into my network of playlists. While there are instrumental and thematic thoroughlines, I firmly believe different kinds of listeners can each find a favorite song on this album. The extended outro on “EXHAUST THE TOPIC” appeals to devoted indie rockers just as much as “SHELL (OF A MAN)” is a hit among country-pop fanatics, especially the acoustic-heavy Tiny Desk iteration. Somehow, her overarching harmonious heterogeneity just works. And, in an album of only ten tracks, this is no small feat.
Saya Gray may not be the next popstar that appeals to everyone, but she is certainly capturing the attention of a diverse audience. She excels at making art that is no less accessible than it is challenging. SAYA is not just objectively thoughtful and well-crafted work, but something I can’t help but listen to over and over again.
