Piece of Me by Lady Wray | Album Review
Lady Wray’s sophomore album seeks to give a peace of mind in a post COVID-19 world.
Listen to Piece of Me on Apple Music and Spotify.
Lady Wray, formerly known as Nicole Wray, is no stranger to the music business. Having been featured on Missy Elliott’s debut album and landing a top 10 hit with “Make It Hot” off her own debut album of the same name, things were looking up for the artist. However, she would hit several road blocks in trying to release her sophomore record. There would be a series of lukewarm responses from labels that had Nicole reevaluating her career. It would a chance opportunity with The Black Keys that would recharge in vigor. Nicole would reintroduced herself to the world as Lady Wray in 2016 with her first soul record Queen Alone. I really appreciated how she married retro with modern soul on that project. For her follow up to this album, Wray discussed how she was looking to act as a calming force in a post pandemic world with Rated R&B:
“I wanted to give people something from me so that they can feel like, ‘Wow, everything’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna take this ride together’… At the end of the day, what we want as normal human beings in this pandemic world is something we can hold onto and enjoy. I didn’t know at the time that that’s what I was doing. Now, looking back on it and listening to the songs off the album and the journey, that’s exactly what happened organically.”
She opens with record with jazz infused “I Do”. The horns featured on the track brought me back to some of the silkier soul music of the 1970s. The balance of Wrays vocals take on a delightfully silky quality when paired with treatment. I even get threads of some of Erykah Badu’s work through the subtle funky layers that come out in the song. Nicole seeks to repair and heal this distance that seems to be growing between her and her significant other. This nurturing feeling sets the tone for the rest of the album to come.
“Through It All” brings in a feeling of appreciation. There is a soft fuzziness to song that brings to mind the warmth of old vinyl. I also really like the backing vocals that call back to 60s soul. The hook of “I don’t know what I would do without you” in the chorus will be easily stuck in your head. Nicole’s words take us through the gratitude she has to have her partner after all the hardships they have shared, “Through it all, I can’t complain, it feels so good / I don’t know what I would do without you.” Wray’s vocal range here is fantastic and gives the proper amount of passion needed. It’s one of my favorites off the album.
The title track, “Piece of Me”, calls for an amicable break between a friend, family member, or partner that has wronged her. We take a more airy route with the flutter of flutes against some of the funkier backing instrumentation. Wray’s stance, “I’ll let you take a piece of me/ I hope you get the peace you need/ And if that’s not enough/ I’ll let you go peacefully, oh yeah,” seeks to bring peace to both party’s as this chapter closes. This piece of her she’s leaving behind will hopefully put into perspective why things have went the way they have.
Wray adds a gospel flair to “Come On In”. The live drums and piano bring to mind walking into worship in a small church. It’s this spiritual flair alongside the rich throwback 70s soul that brings to mind Lauryn Hill’s work on her epic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Nicole seeks to bring purpose into her new man’s life. She uses the imagery to faith and coming to the light, “Put your heart/ In my hand/ I’ve been waiting (I’ve been waiting)/ For the right man/ We’ve come too far by faith,” to show that together they can bring to life what was promised to them by God.
We take on a sunnier production value with the aptly titled “Under the Sun”. The rich keys and creamy guitars bring to mind the orange glow of summer afternoon bumping an eight track as you drive with the top down. Nicole brings up imagery of a carefree summer day as she seeks to free herself from worries and enjoy the moment.
We get a beautifully rich sound on the ode to clout chasers on “Where Were You”. It’s gorgeous blend of plucked strings, saxes, flutes, and harpsichord all of which really take the song to the next level. Nicole sounds fantastic alongside this soundscape. She calls out all those that choose to leave her in her moment of need, “(Where were you?)/ Not a penny to my name, where were you?/ (Where were you?)/ I thought you had my back, where were you?” Wray lets it be known in the third verse that what comes around goes around now that the tables have turned.
Nicole brings in her father, Kenneth Wray Sr., on “Beauty In the Fire”. She wonderfully evokes the sense of sadness and determination around the need fight against the rising tides of racism. Her father’s sermon (Psalms, 11:6) perfectly distills the resentment and anger the Black community has towards the continued racial attacks they deal with daily. The spiritual vibe the track casts off adds much more weight to Wray’s words calling for action against the continued violence and discrimination that Black American’s receive daily.
One of the richest sounding tracks on the album is “Games People Play”. The effects on the electric guitar really give a richness to the song. If you are fan of the old school soul Amy Winehouse sang, I think you will absolutely adore the everything Wray has put together here. Nicole’s told Wordplay magazine the following about the track:
“The creative process for ‘Games People Play’ was a bit crazy, because I just had my daughter at the time, so I was trying to get back into song-writing mode all while being a new mom. The lyrics came to me fairly easy because of the production by El Michels Affair. It reminded me of the early 90’s, when dating was fun and complicated. Basically a song about past relationships that was full of shit, because either you were too young to be in love or know what it truly meant, and playing games because that’s all you knew. Back then, those relationships were never meant to last. I’m sure we can all relate to that!?”
She feels like an inner voice to keep your mind about you as the music acts to play on the hypnotic charm.
“Melody” is a absolutely touching ode to her daughter Melody Bloom Bacote, who is also featured here. Nicole interpolates the scatted section from the 1972 Darondo song “Didn’t I”. She keeps the production minimal which gives the intimacy of a lullaby of a mother to her child. The love she has for her daughter really pours forth from her words, “Is that a star? Is it a melody?/ You got my heart, you got my heart/ I’m incomplete without you, Melody/ You love me for real.” It’s a very touching moment on the album.
As the title suggests, “Thank You” brings forth a beautiful spiritual sense of gratitude. Both the piano work and backing vocals casts everything in this warm golden light. Nicole’s words touch on appreciation to all those that have given her strength (be it family, friends, or a higher power), “I was down/ You lifted me up/ I was lost, you helped me find my way/ Kept me safe in your grace/ With nothing left, you made a way.” That generosity really touched me.
The most modern soul tracks on the record is “Joy & Pain”. Wray manages marry her love for 60s/70s soul with more contemporary sound quite well. The subtlety shift keeps things interesting without straying from the record’s main sonic theme. Nicole explores her need to have all of her partner, “I wanna cry all night, can you hold me tight?/ Welcome you home and I tell you goodbye/ I wanna miss you/ I wanna live free/ I wanna fight all night, in the sheets all day/ Welcome you home, then I’ll send you away.” I quite like how this song and the final song, “Storms”, play off one another in the yearning for openness and unconditional love.
The final track on the album, “Storms”, sounds a bit similar to some of the other piano based tracks that came before. I do like the heavy percussion that comes in later. That said, I fit this to be a little flat compared to some of the earlier tracks. Wray ends the album by send out love to those who need it. Through all the difficult times and confusion, she wants her partner to know that she’s give all her love to them. While not sonically my favorite, I do appreciate how the track both works with the previous song and ties together the central theme of solace that she’s weaved throughout this album.
I really enjoyed Nicole’s vibe throughout the project. It’s clear she’s inspired by the soul music of the 60s and 70s. She does a wonderful job paying homage to this sound while keeping everything fresh. One thing I really appreciate about this record is how warm it felt. I think Wray’s goal making a album that people can find refuge in was wonderfully executed. There is an honesty that feels very personal and reassuring throughout Piece of Me. My only real negative about the album comes with flatness of the ending track “Storms”. I really think if you are a fan of the sound of artists like Sharon Jones or Jill Scott, I think you will really like what Lady Wray brings in on her sophomore outting. My overall thoughts on Piece of Me:
Loved it: “I Do”, “Through It All”, “Piece of Me”, “Come On In”, “Where Were You”, “Beauty In the Fire” (feat. Kenneth Wray Sr.), “Games People Play”,“Thank You”, “Joy & Pain”
Liked it: “Under the Sun”, “Melody” (feat. Melody Bloom Bacote), “Storms”
Disliked it: None
My overall rating: 8.5 out of 10.
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