Review By: Justyn Brodsky

Acoustic. Electric. And quite Eclectic.

Acoustic/Indie Artist Ray John, from Southampton, shows genuine emotion, ambience, and a craft for dynamic songwriting when he picks up his instrument.

Call them songs, tracks, but I find them more as anthems. Because every song you hear leaves you with a melody you end up remembering, and coming back to later; or perhaps turned on repeat. This kind of feeling comes from hearing brilliant song writing; you won’t find yourself skipping one track.

His vocal range perfectly shows parallels with every key signature he writes in, which shows that he doesn’t need to break boundaries to get you into him. Think of him in between the ranges of Jack Johnson, and Dashboard. The perfect in between.

But the beauty is, you don’t have to compare him to either artist. His crisp guitar tones with a vibrant texture accents his at-times dueling vocals that compliment the verses perfectly, boasting a hybrid and emotional foundation that gives Ray his original sound. 

What We Will Be is a perfect example of this as we get a demonstration of something well produced, but not over-produced. You hear precision and atmosphere in his crafted guitar dynamics. Add a vocal range perfectly appropriate, and you can clearly hear the solidified nature that Ray boasts in his comfortable and soothing sound.

Then catch another side to Ray with his track Tall Tales. Which gives a slight change of tone with more vocals active in this story-telling track. I believe this is the perfect follow up to the previous track; where it just gets better as you get through each song, but still holds something worth remembering if each song was to be put on repeat separately. Which has Ray making you feel better as his EP plays on.

Ray is comprised of good song writing, precise musicianship, and a sound that is undeniably friendly and memorable. He is that acoustic Artist that can safely keep Dashboard innuendos far away. He is a man of his own, with a sound of his own. And the only thing you should own after reading this is Ray John’s EP. 

Connect with Ray John

Twitter: @RayJohnMusic

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RayJohnMusic

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