Sarah Rae – “Poison Ivy”

Music Reviews
Jer@SBS
June 22, 2021
0

Sarah Rae – “Poison Ivy” – Single Review

I like you Sarah Rae.

From what I can tell, she’s a fearless warrior on the front-lines of music, and a genuinely creative artist. I don’t know if it was the extra time that kicked in during the pandemic, or if she simply got back around to making music…whatever it is that brought her back this year, I’ve got my fingers crossed that she’ll stick around from here on in and continue to excel in her craft. Sarah Rae’s a visionary artist, truly.

For one thing, you’ll notice she pretty much has no problem taking on the world as about as upfront as can be done through her embrace of dissonant sound. Not only is that very much a unique approach to begin with that comes along with about a million inherent risks in terms of how listening ears tend to perceive the music they listen to – but you have to be absolutely crafty & knowledgeable about the fundamentals of sound to really pull it off in an accessible way that beats the odds. And I feel like she’s really managed to do that with this single “Poison Ivy” – Sarah’s got something authentically special goin’ on with her music, and it doesn’t even take a single spin through this song for you to be able to feel that. That’s the thing about dissonance when it’s done right – it leads to sensational sensory vibes.

Think of it this way though – it’s undeniably the road less traveled when it comes to the art of making music – and if you’re willing to explore the unknown like Sarah Rae is, you too might very well reap the artistic rewards to be found one day. “Poison Ivy” is a stellar example of a song that’ll offer you something unique, new, and different from just about every other experience in music you’ve had – yet also sits proudly on the fringes of Shoegaze & Dream Pop, creating multiple access points & gateways in. People often mistake the idea of dissonance as having to be somewhat flat or lifeless – and in this one single alone, I can promise ya that Sarah will prove to you it can be just as bold, beautiful, and lively as any other of your favorite aspects of music. I ain’t even remotely lyin’ to ya when I say that every chance I’ve had to sit here & spin “Poison Ivy” on repeat throughout this past week or so, that I’ve done exactly that…for myself personally, it’s the artistic integrity in a song like this that isn’t only my jam when I reach for something to listen to, it’s massively inspiring in terms of what can still be explored within the realm of music’s limitless potential. Personally, I love vibes like this and know that I can only find so many similarities out there right now that might come anywhere close…Sarah Rae’s kind of like what you’d imagine you’d get if you were to somehow cross the insatiably creative DNA of bands like Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, with the focus, smarts, and dreamy melody of Cigarettes After Sex, and maybe a sprinkle of the artistically vibrant & inspired low-end bass grooves of something like Stereolab. If that seems like it’s all over the map, that’s purely because it IS…you couldn’t just cite one reference and leave it at that in making a comparison to Sarah’s sound overall – and it’s because of that, you should be easily clued into the fact that you’re listening to an artist capable of breaking major ground. I think she sounds spectacularly gorgeous throughout the entire distance of “Poison Ivy” – I think the bass-lines are beyond incredible as well…the sparkling guitars are perfection…the production, for what she’s looking for and the sound she’s seeking out, is as bang-on as can possibly be. The right elements are all as crystal clear and beautiful as we would want them in the music, and she’s set herself right in the thick of the mix for her vocals, singing with angelic grace, technique, and dissonant tones.

She’d be able to tell you much more about this on a technical level than I ever could – I’ll attempt to fill you in a bit on today’s episode of the SBS Podcast, where we’ll play “Poison Ivy” on our show, and I’ll tell ya some more details about Sarah Rae from what I can track down online. For now, just know that I’m absolutely loving what I’ve heard so far from this stellar artist right here – I felt like “Poison Ivy” really offered something new through my speakers, and perhaps hinted at even more to come in the future to follow. Her potential is limitless with the talent she has, the stunning voice she’s got, and the insightfully creative way she makes music – I’m ecstatic about everything I hear in Sarah Rae, all-around.

Find out more about Sarah Rae from her official pages below!

Official Website: https://www.sarahraesings.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahraesings

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahraesmiles

Bandcamp: https://sarahraesings.bandcamp.com

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sarahraesings

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6GkVF2S1vCnSr66jQQqYFm