Anjali Ray’s upbringing in her homeland of India exposed her to a plethora of diverse musical influences. Indian Hindustani classical vocals, jazz piano, classical piano, and exposure to invaluable teachers such as Chicago’s Mani Majumdar helped refine her already considerable gifts into a broad and inspired synthesis. She has an assortment of studio collections to her credit such as Giant, Offering, and Indigo, but her creativity remains unstilled. Her new EP Dark Side, produced by Daniel Galindo, attests to her continued willingness to explore and bet on her prodigious skills.
“Leave Everyone Behind” opens the EP with a distinct acoustic tilt. There is a smattering of electrified instruments, but the spartan arrangement leans much more on low-fi musicianship rather than more boisterous contributions. Her lyrical acumen is unquestionable, and she exudes confidence and command for the duration of the song despite the ethereal slant of her voice. Varying the tempo proves to be one of the keys to the song’s success as it invokes understated dynamics that benefit the performance.
She moves into more orchestrated territory with “California”. The song’s classical inflections are never outright evident, but Ray composes this track with a strong sense of grandeur pervading its every turn. It’s clear, as well, that she mines her life and experiences to weave the fabric of these songs, but never in such a deeply personal way that she loses listeners. It’s intimate, yes, but always relatable. “Apple of My Eye” boasts a brisk pace and a handful of unexpected turns in the arrangement. Ray likewise incorporates new instrumental colors into the collection, further setting the performance apart from its brethren.
Piano and kinetic percussion are among the instrumental strengths fueling “Change”. It’s another song, as well, that demonstrates her considerable lyrical talents. She eschews pseudo-poetic flourishes in favor of intelligent conversational writing every bit as capable of exploring themes that loftier words aim for. She wisely pursues another up-tempo piece with this song. Strands of electronic music color the penultimate track “Tesla” and its pronounced pop sensibilities pair well with Ray’s lyrical skills and vocal excellence. It’s a near ideal synthesis of seemingly disparate styles.
The finale “Middle of the Night” flirts with a rock posture while continuing to incorporate the electronic strands that distinguish the prior cut. Ray’s ability to move from strength to strength without ever producing a disjointed effect for listeners illustrates how she’s one of the few songwriters and performers genuinely capable of being all things to all listeners. It closes Dark Side with a memorable final statement.
Long may her creativity go on unabated. Anjali Ray has long since successfully subsumed her Indian musical influences into the larger architecture of Western music and the unique collision between her initial sonic grounding and later loves never fails to strike a compelling note. She’s an one of a kind artist who shows no signs of slowing down. Dark Side deserves consideration as her finest release yet and will make believers out of any newcomers to her work.
Garth Thomas