Reeya Banerjee – This Place

Reeya Banerjee – This Place – Album Review

Solid first impression from solo-artist Reeya Banerjee.  As “Picture Perfect” started up her brand-new album called This Place, I felt like this opening track was the right kind of gateway you wanna find when listening to something you’ve never heard before.  There’s melody, there’s effort, there’s hooks, there’s energy…an audible cornucopia of great things, right?  Reeya sings with a fantastically steady voice, and whether it’s the verses or the main hooks of the chorus, she delivers with confidence.  Tone-wise, I like everything that I hear from her as well…”Picture Perfect” felt like I was listening to a veteran of the scene instead of an artist that’s technically just passed the milestone of releasing her music for five years on a professional level.  All the right pieces are in place for her to succeed, and with the support of a massive wealth of talent/expertise in Luke Folger, she’s clearly got everything she needs to make the music she wants to make.  “Picture Perfect” plays kind of like Surfacing-era Sarah McLachlan and music that the many titans that became household names during that time sound…Holly McNarland , Paula Cole, Lisa Loeb, Wild Strawberries…Reeya’s got a bit more edge to her sound in this first track, but she’s still comparable with much of the whole Lilith Fair crowd essentially, which is good company to be keeping as far as I’m concerned.  “Picture Perfect” probably plays more like a song you’d expect to find from Vertical Horizon overall, which is another band I love from that same era more or less, but yeah – everything clicks into place on this first track and definitely gets you interested in what might follow it.

A track like “Snow” is like an immediate line in the sand drawn that separates Reeya’s music apart from just being another Pop/Rock record – you can instantly connect with the artistic depth in a track like this, but you also have to applaud the high degree of accessibility to what you hear as well.  Usually, there’s some kind of trade-off to be made between making something more artistically inclined and how many people you can get to listen, but the force is strong with this one.  Reeya displays Morissette-like instincts, and settles into the sweet spot where she can create something bold without compromise.  As much as I was impressed by “Picture Perfect” as the album began, I’m that much more thrilled by the confirmation we get with “Snow” right afterwards.  This sounds ambitious to me…innovative…fresh – and who wouldn’t want that?  Reeya’s vocals are a continual highlight, the hooks of “Snow” are delivered with real conviction you can hear in every word that she sings, and the music from Folger supports her perfectly every step of the way through the chops and dynamics that Luke has provided.

Yeah…I mean, this is sound stuff y’all.  As I listened to how strong a song like “Blue And Gray” became, I had to marvel at the fact that Reeya’s just passed that five year mark and really only been pursuing music as a solo artist from the pandemic-era on forward.  That’s not a whole lot of time in the grand scheme of things, so either she’s had plenty of practice before she got to this point, or she’s got an insane amount of natural talent that has been simply waiting for the right opportunity to shine.  I love the way she sings “Blue And Gray,” especially when she heads into the pre-chorus of this song and scales her vocals up at the end on her way into the main chorus hooks.  She sounds absolutely fantastic, and her confidence in every note adds so much appeal to the overall sound of “Blue And Gray” – to the point where I’d probably even tell ya that any hooks actually pale a bit by comparison.  SHE is the hook here, more-so than any part of “Blue And Gray” that you could point to…it all sounds good, but Reeya sounds amazing…I suppose that’s the difference.  No complaints from me though…the mix is on, the music is stellar, the ideas and lyricism all work…This Place has everything running like a well-oiled machine so far.

If you look at the lineup of songs, you’ll know that accessibility was a significant priority in making this album – the shortest cut is 3:20 in length, and the longest is 3:44 – all well within the realm of finding that radio-friendly space artists & bands love to play within.  While that COULD be something that might normally get me a little jaded about the process of music-making, I didn’t ever feel cheated in listening to the songs on This Place.  I’m no different than you – I’m still going to have my favorites, and songs like “Misery Of Place” that don’t quite measure up to the biggest highlights in the set from my perspective.  I look at it like this, if “Misery Of Place” was as rough as it was going to get for Reeya, then how awesome would that be?  Because it’s still a solid tune to listen to, don’t get it twisted.  It might not be quite what I found in the first three tracks, but I’m far from unhappy with it.  Banerjee still sounds fantastic, there has been no drop in the quality of the performances or the production on the song…I mean, it’s really a matter of splitting hairs when it comes right down to it.  “Misery Of Place” seems a little thinner to me in terms of the ideas and uniqueness at the core of it all, again by comparison to what we’ve already heard on the album by this point, but that might not even matter in the court of public opinion.  I guess I’m not totally in love with the vocal melody/pattern of the verses in this song, but the high-octane energy and brightened hooks of “Misery Of Place” could absolutely still be strong enough to get everyone onboard.

“For The First Time” was the first instance where I felt like we finally found a slight crack in the armor of this musical superhero.  Nothing massive, nothing so concerning that I stopped listening to this song, but a couple spots here and there where I felt like Reeya could have gotten a little better outta herself on the mic.  Considering this hasn’t even come up to this point, that’s a victory as far as I’m concerned.  You could point to tons of mainstream artists that have questions moments or spots they might have been able to sing a little bit better than they got onto their recordings, and they’ve usually got the backing of millions of dollars of equipment & record companies.  In my opinion, Reeya’s vocals & lyricism continue to be the main reasons you should be checking out this album, regardless of a couple scattered notes that color just slightly outside of the lines here on “For The First Time.”  I’d probably be more concerned about this track being a deeper cut when it comes right down to it…this one ain’t as ready to please the masses as quickly or easily as the others surrounding it likely will, though once again, I’ll point out the fact that a single piece of a song can sometimes make all the difference in that regard.  The main hooks and energy of “For The First Time” have a ton of appeal to it.  The verses will be more challenging to the listening ears out there, but hopefully they’ll be satisfied by the substantial content & artistic presence.

Lyrically, I just like what Banerjee chooses to write about, and I think I love how she chooses to write about the themes in her music even more.  I have no doubt whatsoever that what she’s writing about will mean more to her on a personal level than it likely will to the rest of us listening, which is something I pretty much feel is always a thing no matter who we’re listening to…it’s natural, and I mean…I think the songs being written always SHOULD mean more to those creating them, shouldn’t they?  We’ll ascribe our own meanings to the songs we listen to anyway…that’s still personal, that still means something, but it’s always tough to feel the exact way about a song as a consumer and not the person that created it.  In any event, I enjoy listening to Reeya’s thought process being sung out loud – she’s got a genuinely neat perspective on the world, and that shines brightly within her lyricism.  A track like “Runner” is a bit like something you’d hear in the later stages of R.E.M.’s career, or I suppose the earliest part counts too.  “It’s impossible for me to feel alone in this mess,” is a wonderfully empowered line that echoes the whole Whitman way of thinking…that we “contain multitudes” and such…that we’re never moving forward alone, but rather filling our own respective roles within a much bigger concept or entity.  The individual accomplishments we achieve still count for a lot, but we’re always contributing to something bigger, and likewise, when others improve on themselves or their own circumstances, we often grow too.  The music on “Runner” makes it practically a guaranteed hit with the people out there, it’s insanely catchy, upbeat, and energetic…everything else was a bonus on this track if you ask me.  Just so happens that Reeya penned a really compelling set of lyrics to go with this too, which largely focuses on running and kicking ass on life, but you can interpret what she’s saying in a variety of ways as well.  Of all songs on the album, I think this grew on me the most as I listened throughout the week.  I went from thinking it was another good track on the record to believing this might be the unsung hero in the whole lineup.

Where I do have a few concerns, is that I still feel like we’re searching for some songs that have the same inspired spark and potent hooks that the opening three tracks contained…the mid-section of This Place still has plenty to offer your ears, but it’s a bit watered down in comparison to the impact that the opening tracks on this album created.  Content/theme-wise, it’s still very strong stuff, and can often be deceiving as to what you might think something is about compared to how it sounds.  For example, with its jagged & staggered structure, you might not assume that “Sink In” is a love song…but if I’m not mistaken, it is, ain’t it?  From what I’m gathering, it’s like celebrating the beauty of the calm from the center of the storm.  Reeya is able to peer out at the chaos surrounding her and even be excited by that, but recognizes that there’s a comfort we can’t live without as well.  “Sink into the couch with me/Don’t you want to watch reruns?/We could be the only ones” – that’s kinda ideal, ain’t it?  We all have the option of braving the craziness of the outside world, but I think it’s very natural to crave the calm of the inside too.  Everything in moderation, including moderation, as they say, I suppose.  In any event, I’ve only got my own theories on what any given tune is about, but I really enjoyed contemplating what this track was communicating to us.  I also really love the switch in the energy of “Sink In” as it shifted into the chorus…it’s got this like…interesting mix of elegance and energy that was fascinating to listen to.

Now, while I’m not suggesting that “Good Company” is a better song than what you’ll find in the mid-section of This Place, I am going to say that I feel like it’s the track that probably contains the most universal appeal outside of the first three tracks in the set-list.  Honestly, this would be a tough-ass track to resist in my opinion, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor by just surrendering to it instead – so do that!  Turn up “Good Company” loud & proud, and appreciate the greatness you’re listening to!  What I really love about this song is that it’s way more versatile, restless, and complex than it appears…if you’re listening closely to the amount of ways it switches and transitions, you’ll realize that a lot is demanded of Reeya and Luke to get this as right as it is here in the recording.  Most importantly, Banerjee got the absolute maximum potential of “we are stars in each other’s eyes” to come out…it’s one of the most gorgeous and sweet lines I’ve heard from anyone this year, and she got every ounce of the sincerity in it to make it connect to every heart & mind listening.  It’s also got this like…genius-level Pop/Rock spirit to it as well…kind of like how the sweetest tunes from a band like Fountains Of Wayne would seemingly hit you outta nowhere for their genius.  Sometimes no matter how good you might think something is, the right artist can still find a way to one-up themselves.  Reeya did an excellent job of all that on “Good Company” – to the point where I could absolutely see this track becoming many listener’s favorite song.  It might even be my own as well.  I look at this song on paper and I hear Reeya sing her words, and I’m convinced that I should just keep us all here reading for an hour longer by quoting every line in “Good Company.”  “Those nights, that cast of characters low and high…a beacon in dark times…let’s trash the barrier between your trouble and mine.”  That’s exquisite writing y’all!  And it fits so damn well.  You’ll hear this whole clever narrative of “Good Company” and hear all the people included along the way, no doubt highlighting some of the best memories & moments that Reeya has been a part of in her lifetime.  The conviction in her performance is award-worthy on this song…whether it’s fictional or based on real-life experience, Banerjee will have you believing in every word she sings – there’s so much heart in this.

As the album concludes with “Upstate Rust,” I don’t want anyone to be confused by anything I’ve written – This Place is a remarkably consistent record overall.  Like I was tellin’ ya earlier, we’re all bound to have our favorites and such, but all you can ever do from the artist’s side of the studio is put your best into every moment you’re performing and let the chips fall where they may.  So sure, I do have my own favorite tracks on this album – you will too – but the reality is, the consistency in the quality of the performances and production is well worth a mention here.  Reeya’s found an incredible partner, cohort, and collaborator in Luke – he’s brought so much to this album and he’s got amazing instincts on how to create the kind of material Banerjee can really work wonders with.  Like, LISTEN to how freakin’ cool the music is on “Upstate Rust” is at the end of the album if you need a prime example of what I’m talkin’ about!  Then go back and listen to how snugly Reeya is able to fit into this whole atmosphere and vibe…it’s like she was born to sing the songs you’ll hear all throughout This Place.  I’m more than impressed overall.  From the echoing U2/The Edge-like sparkle in the guitars on “Upstate Rust,” to Banerjee revisiting that Alanis-esque sound that has worked so well for her along the way, call me crazy, but how can you not be impressed by all that’s been created by what is essentially two remarkably talented human beings?  Yes, yes…we can’t forget that James Rubino supplies some extra engineering and it’s mastered by Robin Buyer – I’m sure they’re essential to the end product, but you get what I mean…it’s Reeya and Luke that got right in the trenches to make this album become reality, and you’ve gotta hand it to them for the commitment they put into every single ticking second you hear.

Find out more about Reeya Banerjee from her official website at:  https://www.reeyabanerjee.com

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