Girl Ray – ‘Prestige’ album review: a lacklustre disco-pop hybrid
British trio Girl Ray have returned with their third effort, Prestige, which sees them try their hands at disco. While their last record, Girl, demonstrated an interest in pop music, Prestige sees the band experiment with broader influences, making for a surprising yet refreshing listen.
The band states that the new album was inspired by the way disco was used as a mode of expression and celebration by queer and marginalised communities in the 1970s. Using glittering synths, funky basslines and danceable guitar riffs, Girl Ray creates an invigorating musical experience, calling on friendship and love in all its complexity.
However, the album sometimes falls into slight complacency, failing to provide enough variation to maintain heightened attention. Yet, Prestige does contain several stand-alone slices of brilliance, subsequently making for a worthwhile listen. Opening with the sounds of distant sirens and a car pulling up to a busy venue, ‘Intro’ sends us back in time by situating us in a ’70s nightclub, with the pulsating sounds of Girl Ray emanating in the background. The shimmering sounds of ‘True Love’ enter with euphoric effect, and it’s hard not to feel immediately charmed by the effortless joy radiating from the song.
Following ‘True Love’ is ‘Up’, which features a very similar sonic palette. Still, the song is catchy and well-crafted, with a particularly striking mid-section where time slows down, and Poppy Hankin’s soft vocals take precedence. A standout moment comes in the form of ‘Everybody’s Saying That’, which has a singalong chorus that echoes the fun of 2010’s pop with a retro edge. Hankin sings, “Everybody’s saying that you could’ve done better/ But I really wanna end up with you/ Sparkle in your eye/ Glitter in the night,” allowing herself to indulge in playful lyricism, reflecting the disco soundscape.
A few tracks appear to lack momentum, such as ‘Love Is Enough’, ‘Begging You Now’ and ‘Easy’, which meander along with predictability, each maintaining an average-paced tempo which quickly tires. Moreover, on more sonically-interesting tracks like ‘Tell Me’, Hankin uses some lacklustre lyricism, such as “Baby we were hot like a cigar/ But here I am crying in the back of my car” and “So what’s it gonna be/ Baby what’s the tea?”
Luckily, the record begins to pick itself back up with the sultry ‘Wanna Dance’, which features beautiful feathery vocals layered on top of each other. The song feels more soulful than others, although the disco-inspired basslines retain a strong presence in the background. On the closing track ‘Give Me Your Love’, which comes in at almost eight minutes, Girl Ray demonstrates their talents with dance-ready keys and a pounding synth beat that sees the band enter the realm of the ’80s rather than remaining firmly rooted to the ’70s. Modulated vocals round off the track as video game-esque synths shoot off into space.
Prestige has its highlights, yet, the lack of musical diversity present on the album prevents the band from showcasing their true capabilities, which are lurking in small glimpses of excellence. While the record certainly has plenty of fun moments perfect for dancing, especially with your friends, it doesn’t feel like Girl Ray have truly achieved the expansive, celebratory sound they set out to create.
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