Race Against Fate – “Ray Of Light”
Race Against Fate – “Ray Of Light” – Singles Review
Lemme tell ya folks…when you end up writing reviews each and every day of your life, it actually becomes a significant challenge to not end up repeating yourself if you put in the time. Such is art really – it happens – more often than not, we benefit from the perspective and growth that time allows. It’s been about ten years since I started listening to the music of Race Against Fate, can you believe that? I’d reckon both Vik Kapur and I are both ten years older too, though for whatever reason it seems to only be me that’s showing the wear and tear of the time gone by. In any event, I gotta thank the guy for making things easy on me today – I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to write out this sentence ever before: “This is without a doubt the best song I’ve heard in a decade of this artist’s catalog of tunes.”
Rest assured, I’ve heard a few from this man – some really great songs as well to that end, though it has been around two and a half years since the last time we featured Vik’s music in Race Against Fate on these pages of ours. While I’d love to tell you it’s as simple of a case as absence makes the heart grow fonder, I honestly think what we’re hearing in “Ray Of Light” is the sound of a guy that’s tapped into the vibe he’s always been searching for. In a decade’s worth of time, believe me, I’ve heard some seriously stellar songs from this guy…but I don’t know if I can claim to have heard one that sounds so naturally suited to his strengths. There’s nothing I’d change about “Ray Of Light” – from the music to the microphone, he’s got the melody of this song laid out perfectly, and found a way to spotlight the sincerity he brings to the way he sings better than he’s ever done. Heck, he even gives you a bonus hook before this song is finished, as if he needed to give you another reason to love what he’s come up with on “Ray Of Light” somehow!
So look…the only thing I’m not gonna tell ya is that Race Against Fate is recreating the wheel here – “Ray Of Light” is still a Pop/Rock tune at the end of the day, but to be fair to Kapur, I don’t think his goals have ever been to do things radically different than the rest so much as it has been about refining his talent & capabilities along the way to be heard in the same way as some of his own heroes, peers, and musicians that he looks up to in the songwriting realm. While he’s certainly shown us flashes of real brilliance over the course of his career from his previous band, to his solo work, I really feel like the man should be truly proud of what he’s accomplished with this latest single. “Ray Of Light” is insightful, entertaining, and written with a heartfelt honesty we can all hear. Like I was tellin’ ya earlier on – what you’ll hear in this song sounds natural to him, and it’s completely because it does that the feeling translates directly to our ears as we listen. “Ray Of Light” is an authentic case of everything being in the right place you wanna find it. On a personal level, I’m stoked for Vik, because I know how much work he’s put into his craft over the years, and to hear him potentially surging into the prime of his career after so much time does nothing but bring a smile to my face y’all. He sings “Ray Of Light” perfectly. He plays “Ray Of Light” perfectly. He’s written “Ray Of Light” perfectly. No joke – I can’t say enough about what he’s created this time around, and I feel like we’re hearing the guy reach a whole new level of the music he makes. There’s just a whole different vibe that comes along with the sound of everything being in its right place, and that’s what it was like to experience hearing this new single from Race Against Fate.
It’s not “Luck” – I suppose that’s what I’m getting at. “Ray Of Light” is the result of perspective, patience, and objectivity if you ask me. The kind of qualities that no matter how much we wish we could will into existence, really only come to us by taking the time required to examine what was, and consider what could be. It’s the result of putting in the work, year after year, honing the craft, and sticking it out through the highs and the lows. “Ray Of Light” is so well-executed that you know without a doubt that Kapur was completely ready for every single moment of this song when it came time to record it…he knows this inside & out, and readiness equates to professionalism. Would I have been tempted to extend “Ray Of Light” and add in that final twenty-seconds or so a bit earlier on into this tune? Sure! I bet he was tempted by it too – how could an artist not be? When you tap into a hook as lively and vibrant as he does at the end of this song, it’s only logical you’d probably wanna play that more than once. Ultimately, I have to admit that Vik played it smart by giving that spot a singular run-through…it creates an undeniable finale, and raises the stakes in a way that ensures we all push repeat. It’s yet another example of the cleverness in his craft, and another indication that the guy is dialed right in to what makes his writing, sound, and music the most effective it can possibly be. It’s memorable, it’s catchy, it’s wonderfully down to earth & yet dreamy at the same time. After all this time, it’s definitely inspiring to hear a guy like Vik that has put in the time & effort surge into his prime.
Find out more about Race Against Fate from the official page at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaceAgainstFateband
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