Moses Sumney - Black In Deep Red, 2014

Moses Sumney you may know from his "Aromanticism" album of last year which was a gigantic sleeper hit.  First off, I actually caught him the first time at a festival a few years back, and his solo show is pretty incredible.  Now, when it came to "Aromanticism", I wasn't as crazy about it as most, but I thought it was an incredibly lush and genuinely beautiful Alternative R&B album.  I loved the woozy "Lonely World" and the bluesy "Don't Bother Calling", and who can forget just how gigantic "Quarrel" is.  But some of the interludes here were just so genuinely strange, even for this very spacey album.  Now, the one thing that I was sort of turned off with "Aromanticism" was how I feel like it didn't capitalize on the excitement and spontaneousness of Moses's live performances.  However, with this new single he's dropped, I think he's capitalizing on that so much more.  Let's chat about this new EP from Moses Sumney.

This EP starts out with “Power?”.  And if you know anything about this EP, Moses was ignited by a Protest he went to.  Honestly, that’s pretty obvious almost immediately, cause this is certainly angry.  It’s a short intro, and the bulk of it is just chanting.  But what Moses does in a very short time is actually pretty stunning.  I mean, the heavily effected vocals that wheeze in and the stunning atmosphere just get under your skin fast.  Then we have “Call-To-Arms”, which on the other hand sounds like it would have been right at one on his debut.  Moses really does have an incredible voice.  And here, it comes off finer than ever alongside this very whimsical and artsy instrumental.  It’s actually a really interesting tune, filled with very colorful instrumentals and a nice upbeat vibe.  Honestly, the major problem I had with his debut was just how still a lot of his instrumentals were.  But with “Call-To-Arms”, Moses is stealing my attention and refusing to give it back.  His vocals are awesome, and the very stunning instrumental here is just wild.  We have some very jazzy background instrumentals that give this so much life as well.  In every way, this is the direction I wanted him to take after his debut.  It’s honestly stunning. This EP ends off with “Rank & File”, and trust me this track starts off just as urgent and vibrant.  It’s crazy, I feel like people are saying this is radically different than his debut.  And it certainly is.  But at the same time, let’s talk about this.  His vocals are still airy and stunning, the atmosphere is just as intoxicating, and the production is on point.  The only thing that’s really changed is the sense of urgency for 1, and 2, and more importantly, the much more political and agitated feel.  And honestly, it’s really easy to love, and much more immediate than anything from “Aromanticism”. It’s beautiful, but it’s also dark and twisted, and I honestly love it.  It adds a whole new level of depth to the heartbroken Sumney, I just can’t wait to hear more if it. 

Rating: 7.5/10


Genre: Alternative R&B / Electronic / Soul 

Overall Thoughts: I mean, in 9 minutes Moses literally got rid of every worry I had listening to his debut album from last year.  This album is just as moody and soulful but has this sense of urgency to it.  A protest Moses attended lit a fire under his ass, and that’s what this EP does for its listener.  I mean my only real complaint is that I wish there was more of it.  But for 9-minutes, Moses puts together some his darkest and must hectic tracks yet.