Woman In Color
Rebel River, 2020
10/10
A artist who is indigenous on her father’s side and Japanese-American on her father’s side, Raye Zaragoza was raised in a tiny New York City apartment, and she’s acutely aware of the politicalization of her heritage, which is echoed across this stunning and eloquent album.
“Change Your Name”, about her mother immigrating from Japan to America, starts the listen with gentle acoustic guitar as Zaragoza’s sublime pipes enter the reflective and warm setting of folk-influenced songwriting that builds into a fuller atmosphere, and “Fight Like A Girl” follows with strategic horns amid breezy melodies as Zaragoza explores her impressive range.
Halfway through, “Warrior” moves with a cautious landscape of dreamy instrumentation, while “Run With The Wolves” makes great use of cello and keys in its mature, precise execution. “Rebel Soul”, one of the best of the best, then really displays Zaragoza’s powerful and timeless song craft that’s both soulful and lyrically inspiring.
At the end, the strategic harmonica and banjo of “They Say” brings an Americana slant to the versatile listen, and “Ghosts Of Houston Street” exits the listen with playfully strummed acoustic guitar meshing with orchestral strings as she addresses gentrification in her former neighborhood.
There’s some pretty impressive help on hand here, including Colin Meloy and Laura Veirs, but there’s no mistaking that Zaragoza’s poetic, stirring and shrewd vision is the focus of this exceptional record.
Travels well with: Buffy Sainte-Marie- Power In The Blood; Lindsay Lou- Southland