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Review

Parry Ray

The Way I’m Wired

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by Ian Mann

July 19, 2010

/ ALBUM

An album that is capable of considerable crossover appeal if heard in the right places.

Parry Ray

“The Way I’m Wired”

Parry Ray is a London based singer of Indian heritage who has been widely tipped for crossover success. Her début album is grounded in jazz and blues but flirts freely with pop and even country. The bulk of the material is comprised of the strikingly mature compositions of Ray, a married mother of two but the outside material includes the jazz standard “Where Do You Start?” and two pop covers “I Feel For You” by Prince and most unlikely of all “Snuff” by shock metal band Slipknot.

Ray’s talents have been endorsed by no less a figure than pianist Gwilym Simcock but it’s unclear as to whether he actually plays on the album as my press copy doesn’t contain the full credits.

Whatever, the album opens with the drifting “Picture Perfect”, the low key arrangement containing muted trumpet and keening guitar. Ray’s well enunciated, very English voice tells a tale of lost love and regret. It’s haunting and effective and capable of appealing to a broader audience than the normal jazz demographic. It makes no concessions to swing but the essence of jazz is still in there.

“Out Of The Water” the album’s designated single covers similar lyrical territory but is more consciously poppy with a rousing chorus. The organ led arrangement and water imagery gives it a gospel tinge. Who knows, with the right airplay it still has the potential to be a surprise hit.

“Is It Any Wonder?” continues the pop theme, a wry look at modern life and motherhood with additional enlivenment provided by a bluesy guitar solo. Motherhood also informs “Angels Stroking Your Hair”, a song Ray wrote for her daughter. It’s a bit maudlin for my tastes but again it’s something that could hold a broad appeal for others.

“Let Our Chaos Reign” is bluesy and funky and has a clever, witty lyric that name checks Sir Isaac Newton. Good fun, I rather like this.

Prince’s “I Feel For You”, once a hit for Chaka Khan, is coolly funky and soulful if rather slight lyrically. The arrangement deploys electric piano, funky double bass and contains an elegantly fluid jazz guitar solo. 

The jazz standard “Where Do You Start?” is given a pared down guitar led arrangement that brings out the yearning in Ray’s voice. It’s an affecting piece of work and one of the album’s stand out tracks. The song has previously been recorded by artists such as Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett but Ray manages to make it hers.

Ray’s “Camel’s Back Is Broken” is a wryly witty breakup song with keening steel guitar giving it an almost countryish tinge. Ray is at her most effective when she does something a little bit different to the jazz/soul singer norm. “Camel” does that but a stunning interpretation of Slipknot’s “Snuff” is even better, drawing out the bathos inherent in the lyrics in a way that’s less apparent in the original group version.

“Moment Is Passed”, another song of faded love and regret is given an arrangement that borrows from blues, gospel and country. Sung feelingly by Ray it’s another success as is the closing “7 Days” a brief song of longing sung to a sparse piano accompaniment.

“The Way I’m Wired” is an impressive début which highlights the clarity and expressive power of Ray’s voice. The precise arrangements and pinpoint production serve her voice well and overall this is a pretty classy package. It’s not a jazz album per se and some of the selections are a little too poppy for my personal tastes but it is an album that is capable of considerable crossover appeal if heard in the right places-I’m mainly thinking of Radio 2 here.

Not a jazz classic then, but not exactly devoid of merit either. 

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