Rayka Blake – Nevermore (2019)
Rayka Blake uses her single ‘Nevermore’ as a rallying cry and rebellion against all kinds of psychological and physical violence. Through the rock tones, she offers a cry of hope to those who are suffering and the bolstering strength needed by those who are building the courage to rebel. Through all of this rests the knowledge that a brighter and better future awaits when we all rally against violence.
While there is a powerful and important message woven into the single, it does nothing to detract from the engaging sounds of her music. As her debut single, produced by Pietro Foresti, it sets the bar for what is to follow in her upcoming EP. Using rocking electric guitars and powerful vocals, she fills your soul with the call of the single while helping you build the strength to push back against violence.
The guitars that twang through the opening of ‘Nevermore’ grab your attention with their light country-blues tone. Beneath their movement, the drums march down the melody, calling you to follow them into the classic rock flow of the music. This creates a building feeling to the melody that pushes you into the toe-tapping beats of the chorus. While the melody draws you into the track, there is a subdued feeling to it that lets you know it is not the main focus of the track. This doesn’t mean that it is not engaging, but it acts more as a foundation for the rallying cry of the vocals.
Against the foundation of the music, Blake’s vocals are whiskey warm with the lightest growl. There is an addictive quality to her voice that scratches the back of your brain in the best possible way. Through the first verse, she drops you into the moment you realise that you need to push against the negativity and violence in your life. This leads you to a question of where you can go, before the power of her voice rises for the chorus which pushes against abusers. There is a lot of empowerment in the track as she acknowledges the abuse and puts a foot down, rallying strength to leave the situation. There is an intense feeling to the powerful call of the single as she fills you with strength, rallies against violence and says everything you might want to say but never feel like you could.
Rayka Blake empowers and sends out a rallying cry to stand up to violence, both physical and psychological, in the powerful ‘Nevermore’. The music draws you down the soundscape and provides the perfect platform for her vocals to shine. Through her performance, she offers strength while acknowledging the pain of an abusive situation.
Find out more about Rayka Blake on her Instagram and Spotify.
