Raleigh Ritchie’s “Andy” [Review]

I never watched Game Of Thrones when it aired, and up to this point, I think I’ve only seen the first episode of the show. Despite the huge cultural impact it had, I don’t think the show affected my life at all. The first time I even heard of Jacob Anderson, known for his role as Grey Worm in Game of Thrones, and more recently his role as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, was when he first appeared on an episode of Game Grumps back in 2016. At the time he had just released his debut studio album, “You’re a Man Now, Boy” under the moniker “Raleigh Ritchie” to widespread acclaim. It took me until a few weeks after the release of “Andy” that I finally gave his music a listen.

Releasing on June 26th, 2020, Raleigh Ritchie’s, “Andy” debuted with positive reviews.

In an interview with Viper Magazine, Jacob Anderson reveals that the name of the album, “Andy”, came from his grandfather as it was his nickname, short for “Anderson”. He goes on to say that the album was almost called “Jacob”, but because he was writing songs addressed to himself as a young boy, he felt that it would better convey the feelings of comfort, safety, and happiness that he experienced while spending weekends at his grandfather’s house.

Spinning up, the album starts out with “Pressure”, a song about all the stress and pressure that Anderson has experienced leading up to this moment. He goes on to say that he’s “too hard on myself but not in the right way” and that he should “celebrate, instead of hate, appreciate life”. The bassline on this track is insane as it’s a deep reverberating trap bass that perfectly contrasts the classical orchestration and piano. In the second half of the song, we swap out that trap bass for some bass drums that keep the heartbeat of the song going. The string instruments really carry this track and it’s a great opening to the rest of the album. The song ends with a single word, “breathe”, something that we’ll see repeatedly in upcoming songs.

The first single off this album, released almost 2 years prior, “Time in a Tree” is by far the most popular song on the record. The simple pizzicato of the stringed instruments, piano, and simple drum fills lend to this song well to the melodic vocals. During the fourth verse, however, that trap bass returns and we hear Anderson basically rap over it until the delicate chorus returns. There’s a lot to the lyrics of this song, and Anderson actually did an interview with Genius which you can watch here, but I think the song is best described by Anderson in a press release. ““Time in a Tree” is about needing some peace. Some respite, some time away from your own mind. The ways that you can get in your own way on the way to those things. It’s about the fear of not being deserving of happiness, or that you’re not doing enough to get the kind of happiness you want. It’s about needing validation and confirmation that you’re loved and supported when you’re struggling. It’s about needing time in a tree, like a kid — off the ground and halfway in the sky.” The music video for this one hits pretty hard as it’s Anderson sharing an elevator with himself over the years, with each stop on the ride representing his age and what life was like at the time.

The next single off the album “Aristocrats” tells the tale of British history but from the viewpoint of a person of color. Anderson said in a press release “British history is complicated, especially as a POC. And history is everything, it’s what we learn from to help us build our future. In school I didn’t learn much about British history aside from the country’s victories and a version of some of it’s atrocities. Sometimes it’s a confusing place, and although I love my country, I don’t always feel loved by it. With this video I wanted to explore this and my relationship to my own history and the history of those who came before me.” The bassline on this track, while simple, is such a nice groove that complements the string instruments that have become a staple sound of this album. It’s also here where we hear the song close out with the lyric “breathe” once more.

“Party Fear” is all about that feeling that we get when we feel out of place, whether it’s a party or some kind of formal event. For Anderson, especially in this case, he’s describing that feeling and how at events like these he never wants to be around events like these and wishes to disappear from the crowd. What really strikes me about this track is that at some points between the piano and string instruments you can actually hear what sounds like a party happening behind a few walls. The beats are pretty simple here, but during the fourth verse, everything gets a lot darker and deeper. Anderson’s vocals feel as if they’ve been pitched down and slowed down a bit, kind of simulating what it’s like to be drunk a bit. Once again, the song closes out with a single word “breathe”.

Continuing with the thoughts and feelings of anxiety, “Worries” tells the tale of Anderson’s struggles with depression and suicide. While it could just be a fleeting thought or one that lingers for longer than it should, Anderson doesn’t want anyone to worry about him and his own well-being as he knows he’s doing his best to push through everything and will do his best to keep these thoughts in the back of his mind. Anderson really flexes his vocal talents during the bridge here despite it being only two lines. Other than that the horns and violins really pull their weight and help keep the song upbeat despite the morbid lyrics.

Out of all the songs on this album, “STFU” is the one that managed to get stuck in my head after listening to it for this review. The ‘Woo!’’s and cries in the background, the simple bassline, all of that building up to the chorus which erupts into the classic Raleigh Ritchie sound that we’ve become so familiar with over the course of this album. Anderson raps over the third verse which is a nice welcome change to the song. As it closes out with a beautiful piano/violin melody instrumental, which lends the listener a bit of time for self-reflection. The song itself is about shutting people out. For better or worse, having a few moments of time to yourself is needed from time to time. A few months later, Elsa y Elmar lent her voice and sang a version of the first verse along with other additions to the song.

“27 Club” needs a bit of a backstory. In pop culture, the ‘27 Club’ is a list of celebrities who died at the age of 27. Notably, the list contains celebrities such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. This song is very different from all of the others on the record, for one, it doesn’t have a chorus, and it almost feels as if it’s just a confession. Instrumentally the song opens with some quirky synths and mostly contains piano melodies throughout. Anderson is reflecting on his life as he’s made it past the age of 27 and despite the struggles, he’s stronger than ever.

Heavily sampling ‘The Jive Bombers’ hit song “Bad Boy” from 1957, “Sadboi” features Clarence Palmer’s lovely voice and vocalizations for the chorus, as well as much of the melody from “Bad Boy”. Anderson really pours out his heart out on this track as he’s being true to himself and showing his emotions instead of hiding them. Honestly, the highlight of this track is the sample from The Jive Bombers that has been remixed for a more modern pop audience.

Next up in “Shadow”, Anderson reflects on his past, referring to it as a “shadow of who I used to be”. While he still thinks of the past fondly, he realizes that he shouldn’t cling to it and let it take control of his life. While he also doesn’t want to demonize his past, he recognizes that there needs to be some kind of separation between then and now. The string instruments feel very inspirational yet they carry a melancholy feeling which suits this track incredibly well.

“Structure” is probably the most out-of-place track on this record. While it suits the overall theme of the album and definitely belongs here, there’s one thing that sets it apart from everything else. “Structure” feels as if it’s just a raw recording of vocals over a subtle string instrument backing track. While it feels a lot like another confession, Anderson is reflecting on his past and how he’s grown. From being self-destructive to pouring all of that energy into a creative project, he’s doing his best with the cards dealt.

The penultimate track on the album “Squares” is dedicated to Anderson’s wife. Anderson is essentially saying that as long as he’s with his loved ones, it doesn’t matter what the world is like, just as long as he’s being himself. The string instruments are incredibly powerful during this piece, but the lyrics are a bit repetitive.

Closing out the album is “Big & Scared”, a song dedicated to his younger self. Anderson is giving advice and trying to comfort his past self. Throughout the song, we hear the lyric “breathe” repeated, something we’ve heard all over the album. The closing lyrics of the song are the opening lyrics of the album as it’s just the lyrics to “Pressure”. It’s an incredible way to close out the album as the song combines the Raleigh Ritchie sound with one similar to a lullaby.

Final Thoughts

“Andy” is a collection of songs dedicated to Raleigh Ritchie’s past, present, and future, a reflection on his life, and a way to share the struggles and successes that he’s experienced throughout his life. It’s an expression of comfort, and one that he lends to the listener who he hopes can only benefit from it.

References:
Clash Music: Me, Myself, And I: Raleigh Ritchie Interviewed
Clash Music: Raleigh Ritchie — Andy
New Wave Magazine: Raleigh Ritchie Retrospects on Sophomore Album ‘Andy’
Viper Mag: [INTERVIEW] RALEIGH RITCHIE

Album Score: 8/10
Favorite Tracks: “STFU”, “Time in a Tree”

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