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Ria Mae Album Review

Ria Mae is from the little-big city of Halifax, Nova Scotia and has had no problem packing venues - be it dive bars or concert halls - since her hit single, Clothes Off, hit the airwaves last year. Mae moved to Montreal in the winter in hopes of being inspired and courted by the city’s booming music scene. It looks like that’s exactly what happened as she released her self-titled album on June 3rd.


While her sound is mostly pop, there are hints of alternative, hip-hop and even R&B that give her songs a sexy, Montreal-esque feel that has her fans dancing and sipping cocktails while jamming to her music.


The new album features her two singles - Clothes Off and Gold - both with incredibly catchy beats and melodies. There’s so much sex appeal behind these tunes (especially Clothes, as you could’ve probably guessed) that it has probably become a regular in many club playlists. Many of the other songs on the album, though, have more of a pop feel which really showcase Mae’s vocal talent.


Ooh Love, for example, is a poppy love/break up song. It has a lot of feelings and emotions behind it and the range Mae shows in the verses really proves that not only can she put together a great beat, she also has a multidimensional voice.


The fifth song on the album features Canadian rapper Classified, who Mae has collaborated with in the past. The song Thoughts on Fire, is a slow, mellow, motivational tune (Classified often goes for songs with that type of theme) and honestly the marriage between Ria Mae and Classified is a match made in heaven. The hip-hop feel mixes perfectly with her pop-sound and the song and the message (do your thing, don’t listen to the haters, that sort of thing) is conveyed perfectly.


One of my favourite tracks is Leaving Today because it represents the Ria Mae that I was blown away by a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon her music. The sound is sexy and catchy and has a lot of sass. “I don’t need no coat, no keys. I’m leaving today. Keep it all baby...I’m leaving.” Can you not imagine scream-singing this after a bad day?

A lot of times when I review an artist, I find it easiest to compare their sound to other, more familiar artists so that readers can get a better feel for what they’re all about. I could’ve done this with Ria Mae, but I chose not to. Mostly because her sound is too unique, but also because she’s on her way to the kind of fame where she’ll be influencing new and emerging artists with her sound. Keep your eyes and ears on this chick, she’s doing big things.

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