Music Review: Ramsey - The Art of Survival

Ramsey, a Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer, presents her new album, The Art of Survival, which hints at the kind of sweeping cinematic soundscapes and subtly introspective lyricism that the artist makes her name on and still is capable of executing.

Sonically, it’s just enough of a twist on tradition to be familiar, and fresh enough to be considerably appealing, as is Ramsey herself. She can sell a song and inject it with age-appropriate enthusiasm that sustains her through the moments especially with a standout record like “DarkSide” which glides by on its surface, while making the album — at its best — pretty damn infectious, too.

Her voice is layered like plush, velvet cushions and backed by a bizarre, subtle production that gets increasingly odd and abstract as the album progresses. Though her midrange may be increasingly ragged, she navigates her flaws with panache – impressive for a singer whose reputation is built on dark and eerie vocal cries. If you were hoping that her journey to personal hell and back would result in a gritty and raw songwriting, then you won’t be let down.

“Red Light” gives The Art of Survival a cohesion that can sometimes lapse into sameness, but not in an unpleasant fashion. It possesses its own flow and mood, which gives it personality and manages to be a song that is all that distinctive on its own terms. Some other tracks have heavy-handed sexuality like “Bad Bad Bad,” while others such as “Like You Do,” you can hear a strong soul album by a mature singer who’s successfully channeling a lot of real heartache in her music.

Tempered with a few skyscraping tunes designed to showcase her soaring voice, Ramsey’s pop status isn’t ignored, as her songs allude to her strength, her willpower as a survivor struggling through some unnamed struggle — enough for listeners to fill in the blanks, either with their own experience or their imaginings of the singer’s lyrics. What she undoubtedly is, is a pro — she sells these subdued outlandish productions, and makes boring songs interesting, ultimately remaining a forceful, tangible presence among her musical peers.