EP REVIEW: Ripped Jeans – Riyah
At just 16 years old, Danish artist RIYAH has put out her debut EP Ripped Jeans. Previously the lead vocalist of metalcore band IVY CROWN, the impact of the pandemic took her in a different direction towards a solo project and with the help of producer Jacob Hansen (GOJIRA, ARCH ENEMY), her debut is now ready for release. And for a debut, she has well and truly made an impact.
As the EP opens with Outset, we’re greeted by a dramatic, atmospheric piano that brings the likes of EVANESCENCE to mind and feels heavily reminiscent of the intro to LINKIN PARK’s What I’ve Done before the full band kicks in to confirm its identity as an industrial rock track. What brings the song to a whole new level are RIYAH’s haunting vocals that tie everything so beautifully together. With such a powerful voice that suits both fast and slow songs, it’s easy to forget that this a debut EP, not an artist that has been around for decades.
As the record moves onto Make It Rain, things start off with electronic synths that leave us waiting for a breakdown, with slight comparison to the intro of BRING ME THE HORIZON’s Blessed With A Curse, before moving into pop-rock elements in a chorus that has you wanting to dance along. Speechless continues using pop-rock elements before moving into alternative rock territory. It’s a solid track with lyrics relating to heartbreak and regret, although we do start to hear her age in the opening lines where we’re, fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you want to look at it, reminded of the chorus from GAYLE’s ABCDEFU.
But is all is forgiven as the record moves onto Dead Rose, a catchy rock track with a bouncy chorus that will having you bopping along. In fact, we can picture an incredible live performance with this song where the crowd is having the time of their lives. And finally, the EP concludes with Perfect, a dark pop song that is heavily BILLIE EILISH coded mixed in with industrial rock. As a stark comparison with the dark vibes of the sounds and instruments we have lyrics that appear to be about self-empowerment and love, which does offer a slightly comedic vision of someone aggressively shouting positive affirmations, but hey, tough love works right? Point is that we loved it.
As we mentioned, this is only RIYAH’s debut EP and yet she is already a force to be reckoned with. Seriously, we can already envision her becoming a legendary name amongst rock vocalists and we can’t wait to see what comes next for her.
Rating: 9/10
Ripped Jeans is out now via Prime Collective.
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