Ramsey – The Art of Survival Review
Written by Kevin Tanza on October 31, 2019
Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Ramsey has returned this year with her newest release, the album called The Art of Survival, and we couldn’t be more excited from the very moment that we listened to the title track–we know that we’re in for a ride with the combination of Alternative Rock with Electronica, Synth and some Gothic influences, which is something that has defined her throughout the years.
The title track is atmospheric, with a lot of Electronica influences and with multiple vocal layers from Ramsey, making for a very haunting and appealing song that is going to stick in your mind from the get-go. On the other hand, the second track, Red Light, is an even slower and more haunting track where you have Ramsey’s vocals gaining a very prominent role and carrying the weight of the song.
Home to You carries on with the atmospheric style that is defining the album, but I find it to be a bit livelier and with a bit more dynamism, which makes for a more compelling experience as a listener; the chorus is particularly haunting and truly hits home when you start listening. We have a much darker track with Ugly When I’m Honest, where Ramsey shows one of her most visceral vocal performances in the whole album and where the Synth elements gain a lot more professional–there is a sense of drama on the instrumental side of things that works quite well.
I found Bad Bad Bad to be one of the most disappointing tracks of the whole album; I don’t think it adds too much to the whole experience and I think it’s even somewhat lacking in variety, so that is something that makes a track easy to skip. We also have Like You Do, where Ramsey shines with a very prominent and focused vocal performance, which is definitely one of the strong points of The Art of Survival.
Back in the Dark is a bit hit or miss for me; I like Ramsey’s vocals, but I think the pacing of the song feels a bit off, which makes it drag on unnecessarily, in my view. I actually feel that the final part of the album falls down in terms of quality; I think that Dark Side, much like Bad Bad Bad, doesn’t bring anything new on the table and that’s a problem, considering that all great albums need to end strong.
Daddy is a bit better in that regard, I have to say; the instrumental aspects are quite pleasant and I like the atmosphere that it provides, but I personally do not think it’s so effective because it feels like a bit more of the same and I think that’s the main problem with this album as a whole.
One of the factors that hurt The Art of Survival as a complete body of work is the lack of variety; many of the songs have the same structure and pace, which makes it a bit monotonous and doesn’t surprise the listener after a while. There are some good stuff here, like Ramsey’s vocal performance and the Synth elements, but I think this is a release more focused on her longtime fans rather than new listeners.
You can find Ramsey here:
And the Album: Spotify
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