Rasmee Isan Soul/ Arom
'I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them," British author Oscar Wilde wrote in his literary classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray. In a way, Rasmee Isan Soul's sophomore album, Arom (Thai for "emotions"), echoes more or less the same sentiments. Like its cover art painted by the frontwoman herself, the volatility of female emotions and the ability to harness those feelings or simply ride them out is on full display.
Since the release of her highly acclaimed 2016's debut EP, Isan Soul, singer-songwriter Rasmee Wayrana has become known for her unique take on mo lam, Thailand's oft-marginalised genre from the northeastern region. Together with guitarist Satukan Tiya Tira, they've crafted what they termed the "modern Isan" sound and fused it with elements of jazz, soul, blues, gospel and world music. If that EP was an amuse-bouche, its follow-up Arom is, indeed, a main course -- and quite a substantial one at that.
Written and recorded while they were on tour, Arom arrives not under mononym Rasmee, but rather the band name Rasmee Isan Soul. This change reflects the record's bigger, fuller production that is a direct result of various musicians chipping in. The perfect example of this is the excellent title track which also kickstarts the album. Recorded unedited with a full band, the track captures the spontaneous spirit of jazz in which each musician is free to jam and improvise however their emotions dictate them (little wonder, then, that it clocks in at almost nine minutes).
Inspired by Rasmee's own childhood, Little Girls (available in both "acoustic" and "full band" versions) tells the story of two underprivileged girls who wish they could go to school instead of having to work to support their family. The song speaks volumes about the country's deep-rooted social inequality and flawed educational system that has long plagued us.
The Beauty of Loneliness is another lengthy offering that doesn't feel like it drags on despite its seven-minute runtime. This is largely due to the gorgeous guitar lines that highlight Rasmee's raw and honest vocals. The same can also be said about album-closer Captured By the Nib of a Pen, a plaintive acoustic ballad about having to leave one's family behind in pursuit of a better life.
Elsewhere, we're treated to the full band version of Boonreun's Love Song, the original of which appeared on the EP, and the rollicking, bluegrassy number Sin and Virtue -- both written in Khmer language by Rasmee's father.
Funk-leaning Free Beauty serves up yet another social commentary on today's beauty standards and how more and more Thais aspire to look like a Korean pop star.
At its core, Arom offers a stunning collection of earnest molam tunes filtered through global influences from jazz and soul to Afrobeats.
Unlike those on Isan Soul EP, the songs here feel more expansive and more lived in, thanks to the full band studio recording. Rasmee may be at the mercy of her emotions, but she has found a way to turn her experience into art.
THE PLAYLIST
Wonderframe/ 555 (ToT)
The Star Season 8 graduate Supakchaya "Frame" Sukbaiyen has done pretty well for herself despite the lack of substantial EPs and albums to speak of. Since appearing on the competitive singing show in 2012, Frame's gone on to act in a couple of Thai TV series, but her real break came much later on when she released 2017's debut single Yu Dee Dee Gor (featuring rising MC Youngohm) under the moniker Wonderframe, a tribute to her early YouTube days. Her new cut 555 (ToT) sees her exploring further into the pop R&B route while admirably attempting to rap. "I'll just type 555/Even though I've got tears in my eyes," she sings, masking her emotions with stickers and emojis just like the rest of us.
Beach House/ Dive
Dive, the second cut from Beach House's forthcoming album, opens in a typically Beach House fashion -- with an emotive minuet of swirling synths, organ and spectral guitars. Here, the dynamic duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally create their signature exquisite melancholia only to later subvert our expectations by kicking it into high gear. "Empires lost in confusion/Golden hearts left of illusion/You said my big imagination/Shattered, flickered creation," Legrand murmurs before everything suddenly comes to a halt.
Pentatonix/ New Rules x Are You That Somebody?
American acapella collective Pentatonix return with an impressive mash up of Dua Lipa's smash New Rules and Aaliyah's beloved classic Are You That Somebody? The result is a seamless sonic tapestry that brilliantly captures the spirit of the two tracks from two different eras. "I've got new rules, I count 'em/Are you that somebody? Tell me you're that Somebody," the quintet vocalises as they flit in and out of Aaliyah and Dua Lipa. The track, alongside a cover of Camila Cabello's Havana and other pop covers, are set to appear on Pentatonix's forthcoming PTX Presents: Top Pop Vol. 1.
Dreams/ No One Defeats Us
After more than a decade in the making, the long-anticipated collaboration between Empire of the Sun's Luke Steele and Silverchair's Daniel Johns has finally materialised under the name Dreams. Their debut single No One Defeats Us is a rousing, straight-up funk jam that reflects the duo's "journey into [their] vision of the future". What stands out the most here, however, are those shouty, defiant vocals which are very much in line with Empire of the Sun's material.
Sade/ Flower of the Universe
The undisputed queen of quiet storms has emerged from her seven-year stasis to bestow upon us mere mortals a little gift entitled Flower of the Universe. Lifted from the soundtrack for Ava DuVernay's big-screen adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's sci-fi fantasy A Wrinkle in Time, the track finds the UK soul legend in her pristine element, her trademark silky contralto complementing lush acoustic guitar and hymnal backing vocals. A truly majestic song from a truly majestic diva.
