Review Summary: Here we go into the grey.
The word “multiplicity” makes constant appearances across the first part of Moses Sumney’s double album
grae. This term makes sense in the case of
grae, as just the rollout of the album makes it different components of a system. Part two of the album is set to be released in May, at which point we will have the actual final and complete product. Part 1 is equally multiplicite, teetering between the border of complete maximalism tinged with a hushed simplicity and everything in between, with those phases of sound often existing within the same song. In the same sense, the album contains themes of both stark individualism, with Sumney being almost uncomfortably personal, and broad looks at the systems of society, both in the ways that Sumney exists in them and the ways that they exist in the world. As is stated in “also also also and and and”, with vocals by Ghanaian-Nigerian author Taiye Selasi, “I am aware of my inherent multiplicity. And anyone wishing to meaningfully engage with me or my work must be too.”
Lead single “Virile” is the perfect example of this tension between existents. Starting out with Sumney’s perfectly controlled vocals, it begins to build almost immediately. A piano there, a harp here, a flute adds in, and then suddenly with every beat of the song a new sound is created. They layer so quickly that keeping track of each one is impossible, yet they all blend immaculately, never fighting for control. Even if a fight did break out, they would all lose to Sumney’s immaculate falsetto soaring in the chorus. Throughout the song, Sumney battles with the systemic pressure of masculinity, a struggle made even more personal by Sumney being an aromantic black man that was essentially forced into an independent music career, so as to not be forced into being a “marketable black man”. The chorus of the song ends with the call, “
Dear son, you pick your own prison. “Virile” seamlessly transitions into “Conveyor” and “Boxes”, sonically holding the same themes as “Virile” and lyrically being the next logical step - the step from expectations in boyhood to expectations in personhood, wherein he details the crushing forces that a capitalistic society forces onto individuals.
Even when stepping back from a full-blown cacophony of sounds, Sumney’s music is still absolutely all encompassing. “Gagarin” is as close to a gothic slow jam as could possibly be created, but is incredibly entrancing its sonic variety. Just as when it seems as though the song is going to end, another beautifully unexpected element gets added to the fading mix, a mix that invites the listener to give up and melt in, all while, acknowledging, yet refusing to accept, our tiny, tiny place in the universe. And perfectly paralleling that feeling is a track like “Colouour”, a track about Sumney only ever dressing in black and record labels issues with that - A track that should be personal, yet somehow feels as though it means a whole lot more, again due to using just the perfect amount of atmosphere. Closer “Polly” creates the same feeling. The lyrics discuss the story of a monogamous person being in a relationship with one who is polyamorous, but also contains a metaphor for individuals wanting to make the world concerned about us and only us, a trait that’s neither healthy nor realistic.
The crowning achievement of the first part of
grae is without a doubt “Neither/Nor”. It represents a deeply personal struggle with wanting a legacy. Again, a universal message, but it somehow cannot be mistaken that this anxiety-ridden track was written for and about Sumney. If anyone else wants to find solace in it, they are more than welcome to, but the song is not for them. It builds up to a wildly resplendent climax, as he sings “Nobody” following the best set lyrics on the album:
“When I was a little boy
I'd scream at vague misty nights
Yet breathe out smoke with no fire
I’d become one of what I was scared of
I fell in love with the in-between”
Another one of the factors that signifies the multiplicity of Moses Sumney is the potential he has to break into the mainstream. While already undoubtedly an indie darling (he was a recent Pitchfork cover story), songs like “Cut Me” have definite mainstream appeals. But those songs are equally interspersed with multiple songs discussing intricacies of race that are narrated by the aforementioned Taiye Selasi. And while these tracks discuss race, there is no denying that the many identities that Sumney holds, including his being black, are consistent throughout the album. Moses Sumney makes music for Moses Sumney, and he knows there are enough other people like Moses Sumney out there that can also get something out of it. But part one of “
grae” proves that, without a doubt, there is only one Moses Sumney.
