The ostentation he grew up around could be deafening, so instead, Raury has taken what was handed to him and, from it, made his own Walden Pond. RauryAll We Need 2015 Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music EntertainmentReleased on: Composer, Lyricist, Executive Producer.He’s the type of artist who, when he performed on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” the same night Donald Trump was a guest, wore a shirt with Trump’s name crossed out. He sees the flaws of the world around him and raises his hand, volunteering to make the first change. album, or the way early records by A Tribe Called Quest had a palpable air hiss to them.Įven as Raury oozes naturalist, hippieish energy, he manages to remain playful - not humorous, but almost childlike. This Woodstock-era approach feels like the logical result of the last generation of hip-hop outsiders subjected to several years’ erosion by the elements - think Andre 3000’s “Prototype,” or the scrappier songs on the first N.E.R.D.
Throughout, Raury is backed by a mélange of space-soul and soft rock produced largely by Malay, who cut his teeth refining his brand of earthy romanticism with Frank Ocean. Then he swings toward songs about emotional connections, be it the wide-eyed “Mama” or “Love Is Not a Four Letter Word,” an aggrieved spoken rant aimed at a woman who has let him down or “Woodcrest Manor II,” about a friendship riven by time and mistrust. From the beginning of this album, Raury is earnest and aggrieved - he begins by lamenting consumerism and income inequality, in a voice that’s part tense rapping and part wistful singing.
