Raised across the Eastern Seaboard, Aster Rhys has surely captured the enchanting multicultural and multiracial nature of the area and skillfully managed to transcend all of its beautiful and colorful influences into a single release, Ocean Deep, which is an incredibly rich track both in terms of its lyrical content as well as its musical depth.
In the first few seconds of your first listen, you’ll be hearing the sounds of moving waves and enchanting ocean shores, and you are absolutely not to blame if you start thinking that this could turn into one of these cliché releases. But do not judge too fast cause you’re in for a surprise! The intro features an incredible rhythmic entrance played by the flute, bass, and guitar and you are instantly hit by this folksy authentic ambiance and feel. It is almost as if the artist is making a statement about her pride and appreciation to her heritage and to the past. The combination of instruments used and how they are contextualized perfectly deliver a bluesy and an enchanting sea atmosphere. We have bass, guitar, drums, flutes, and accordion; and the latter is incredibly effective in giving this folksy and somehow mystical kind of ambiance.
We cannot also disregard the brilliance of the accordion line and how it complements the vocalist. The lyrics primarily capture the complexity of emotions one feels when letting go of a relationship, especially if it’s a toxic one. The waterline here is a metaphor. It is a separator between the familiar past ( in this context a toxic or unhealthy relationship) and the uncharted future. Funnily enough, we often find ourselves lingering a little bit too much to a familiar harmful past rather than taking a real stand and just doing what is best for us. It is a mixture of emotions where it is so hard to align both our hearts and minds together. “And I love you, ocean deep. And I hold you in my sleep.” These lines are paralleled with a couple notes of a chromatic scale at the back, played by the accordion. This specific tune is actually associated with this idea of disappointment. You can instantly hear it when you listen to it. Just brilliance!
Rhys surely has a great and unique artistry, and if you are someone who likes artists like Florence + the Machine, AURORA, or Laura Marling then you will definitely enjoy listening to Aster Rhys’ Ocean Deep; and I guarantee you that this artist will easily become one of your favorites!