Float In The Magic That Is Calico By Ryan Beatty:
Ryan Beatty is not a new artist, however one that is yet to be discovered by the masses. However his new album Calico that he dropped this year is bringing him more and more attention. Pointing to the fact that making a great body of work itself can lead to an artist gaining recognition and that happening through word of mouth. He has been around for a moment now and started out making covers on YouTube around the same time as Justin Bieber. Then went on to working with the likes of Brockhampton, after which he started his journey of releasing music of his own. He has now released three albums so far and has shown artistic growth from one to the next. All three being great bodies of work and he definitely deserves to be heard. An intriguing artist with such a beautiful creative vision when it comes to making music. You also feel hints of influence from artists like Frank Ocean who he admires in the choices he makes when it comes to things like production. Zane Lowe went out of his way to push others to check the album out as he was so moved by it, and since then others like Elton John who had a sit down conversation with Ryan recently has shown love for his music as well. Zane was the one that got me to listen to the album and I was left mesmerised by the record. To such an extent that I had to go listen to the albums that preceded it as well. Now let's take a walk through this masterful record.
Ribbons - Ryan opens the album with this sombre piano driven moment. There is a sense of vulnerability in his vocal delivery, however the production gives it this feeling of vastness that you find yourself captivated by. Drawing you in for the experience he is about to deliver. He is moving cities as an escape from what he is leaving behind. He is overwhelmed by this love that he is experiencing, however as the song progresses it seems that he may have been dreaming and once he awakens reality kicks in that he is all alone. Finding solace in the thought that it is brave being nothing to no one. The song closes out on a dreamy outro that features strings over which he lightly vocalises in which you find yourself completely lost. A beautiful start that sets expectations high.
Bruises Off The Peach - This tender self-reflective track reminds you of a cool summers day, which is achieved through its production and Ryan’s gentle vocal delivery. Then in the chorus you get a lift in his vocal to a more projected height. You find yourself caught in its magic as it takes over you. Here he seems so lost in his thoughts that he is no longer aware of his surroundings. He is seated somewhere staring up at the ceiling, in wonder as he questions ‘What did it ever have to do with me?’. It continues that feeling of vastness from the previous track and the build in the bridge and final chorus with the layers of vocals coming in provides this song with more of a dynamic. The background vocals near the end in particular give it a hint of soul.
Cinnamon Bread - The piano and guitar find themselves in an interesting fusion on this track. It seems like the person of interest wasn’t the right person for him and neither were they for those they had previously dated. That whenever they’d come over, he’d feel a shift in himself and the atmosphere amongst the two. The bridge makes you think he doesn’t trust this person as he questions whether they’d be able to keep him safe and that will this relationship last for the long run.
Andromeda - On this guitar led track it seems like something is stopping him from giving his all to the person he is with as he finds himself not putting in much of an effort. He’s unsure of what exactly is hindering him here. His songwriting intrigues you into remaining focused in order to follow the story. You are fully immersed in this record and the journey he is taking you on. The cinematic outro adds drama to the track as it transcends into these strings before ending.
Bright Red - The strings at the end of the previous track find their way into this tracks opening in the background and then are threaded in small moments along the track. However the piano is the pinnacle instrument used in the production with a bit of bass. Though his vocals stay at the forefront and the way his vocals are used on this track make you feel like you are floating on them. He finds himself wanting to making the most of this relationship as he is happy with who is with. As he is aware that at any moment things can change and what the two are experiencing right now could be gone tomorrow.
Hunter - Ryan is continuing on from the previous track in that now here he seems to feel as though he’s either woken from a dream he was having or that things have changed from what they were on ‘Bright Red’. By the end of the song he wants to escape it all for a moment, not wanting to be found. He is seeking momentary seclusion. The production here gives this track such a dramatic feel and its as though you are sat there watching a stream flow. There is something hypnotic to the guitar that is featured throughout this track which is the longest song on the album being a little over seven minutes long.
White Teeth - This guitar driven track is an experience in itself as it takes you on this journey through this relationship. Where it seems that the two are detaching, though they try to connect it just isn’t working. He sings about there being both good moments and then those that weren’t so good. The bridge is such a beautiful moment on this track where he sings about if he could he’d have tried harder to keep the relationship alive. However it takes effort from both to make things work. A bittersweet end to a relationship. You feel the R&B influences on this track particularly through his vocal delivery here.
Multiple Endings - Here the piano takes charge as Ryan looks over the relationship that once was. He acknowledges that he had shortcomings, however he says that what they did was much worse. He is clearly hurt over how things went down, and the relationship seems to have been one sided with him giving more than what he was getting in return. The way that the piano is played on this song plays to what’s being depicted through the lyrics really well.
Little Faith - We reach the closing moment on this record and what a stunning note to end things on. You find hope seeping through as he sings about the power behind having even a little amount of faith. With self-doubt and personal growth taking centre stage. You get lost in this track as it overtakes everything around you, inclosing you in its tender nature. He ends it with an outro that is so dreamy with his ‘Oooh’s’ being at the front and the instrumentation rather faded in comparison to the outro on the opening track where it was the opposite.
Overall this is a stunning body of work from start to finish, in total honesty I don’t think I’ve done it justice in the slightest when trying to describe it in words. It is one that you yourself have to listen to in order to fully grasp the art that Ryan Beatty has created. So far Calico is putting up a strong fight to be named 2023’s album of the year, and it seems like it will take the title. It is sonically cohesive and divulges on a sombre journey through life. It feels cinematic and dreamy. The lyrics leave you with a lot to think about as they aren’t exactly clearcut, leaving things open to interpretation. This is one of those records that artists aspire to create, but oft times are unable to. He definitely deserves the recognition and it would be such a moment if this record were to end up being nominated at the upcoming Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. Go and listen to this record if you haven’t yet, it is a must listen from amongst this years album releases.
