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Liz Publika

Album Review: And We Rise by Gina Graves


Album Review: And We Rise by Gina Graves

I can’t really say that I can draw a parallel between this artist and those I am familiar with. What I can say is that Gina Graves has a very interesting sound. Her new album And We Rise comes across as a fusion of lullabies and ethereal musical theater for adults. Her songs overflow with emotion; loss and longing in particular. Her album, which was recorded at home, is deeply moving, somber, and quite beautiful. It is also incredibly well produced, having been mixed by the Grammy-winning producer, Phil Nicolo.

Some of Graves' music can at times sound a little like Portishead. She mostly tends to sing in a high pitch voice, and even though her music is fairly smooth and calm, it also has some interesting electronic elements that give it a unique feel with a little edge. Having studied jazz and classical music, “the harmonic depth and dynamic arrangements of these genres have made an indelible impact on her songwriting and compositional sense.” Graves is responsible for playing every instrument on the album, except for the drums, which were recorded by her brother.

"I have a deep and soulful understanding of the paralyzing emotions that can be experienced as a result of loss, rejection, feelings of inadequacy, and fear in general,” reflects the Wilmington, Delaware-based artist. “I was so terribly afraid of judgement that my lips served as a dam to keep words from escaping.” Although Graves once had a paralyzing fear of performing, she grew up to overcome it. Today, she has an acclaimed career as a professional singer, composer, and musician, which has spanned for over two decades.

Although the eleven track album has a lot of beautiful songs, the one that stands out to me is “Golden Arc.” The dreamy introduction leading into elegant piano accompanied by Graves’ beautiful voice, reminds me of “Ice Dance” from Tim Burton’s 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands—even though it contained no lyrics—and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” by Sons of the Pioneers, which was made particularly popular by the Coen brothers’ film, The Big Lebowski (1998). Regardless, close examination of any song on And We Rise will reveal that the album is a work of art. Check out more from the artist here.

Note* Album provided for objective review by our partners.

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