Raymond Revel has been on our radar for a few months now starting with the introspective piano-led release “Curious Man“. The track showcased his knack for locking in the listener within just a few notes and keeping them there and indeed I was hooked.
Since that release, the Californian singer-songwriter has been keeping himself busy with a slew of releases unveiling further aspects of his craft along the way. As a result, his discography is peppered with little gems worth experiencing.
take “Running From Reality” for example which begins as a stripped piano and vocals number before introducing an epic orchestral moment worthy of a James Bond theme track. Elsewhere, on “End of the Road“, for example, he cedes the lead to a gently picked guitar in lieu of the piano that is heavily present on most of his output. Lush instrumentals augment this choice resulting in something that sounds like Mumford & Sons taking a long car journey with Brian Wilson.
His more recent singles “No Inhibitions” and “Lavender Skies” reveal a more pop direction, but that is in no way intended as a slight. While these releases feature synthetic sounds a lot more heavily they still have bags of heart and do not feel any less intimate, although they do showcase a tendency to forgo minor chords.
I would like to finish this post by harking back to the April 2021 ‘The Living Room‘. In my mind, this release showcases the troubadour’s craft at its rawest consisting of eight tracks that are predominantly piano and vocals. The spotlight is inevitably on the melodies, the delivery and the lyrics. Happily, Raymond Revel delivers on all fronts. Long may he continue to do so.
TRACKS:
Introducing Raymond Revel
