Band: Suki Rae and Company; Musicians: Suki Rae: vocals, flute, keyboards, songwriter and producer; Steve Bloom: guitar; Kennan Keating: guitar; KJ Jacobs: bass; Barry Kornhauser: cello; Andrey Golodukhin: drums; Chris Howard: percussion; and Ayana Lowe, Andru Cann, Sumati Bates, Benita Charles and Greg Cross: vocals
Album: ‘Can’t Stop Now’
The instigation of social consciousness is often led by a fearless pioneer who isn’t afraid to transcend labels or easy classification. Classically trained musician Suki Raea is a memorable spiritual vagabond whose mission is to channel the Divine as she works to raise awareness about, and bring change to, the world’s social injustices. The New York City-based singer-songwriter is highlighting her determination to instill equality among everyone on her eclectic new 10-track Gospel album, ‘Can’t Stop Now,’ on which she also plays the flute and keyboard.
The blues-infused record begins with the gripping entry, ‘Peace by Piece,’ which features the vocals of Andu Cann and Benita Charles, who create soulful harmonies together with Rae. Driven by an exquisite melody on the keys, cheerful guitar solo and an upbeat percussion, the energized Gospel song contains exhilarating melodies and lyrics that praise the process of people working together to make the world a better place.
‘Peace by Piece’ then transitions into ‘Can’t Stop Now’s title track, which features Ayana Lowe, Cann and Charles. The upbeat and textured vocals are driven by an emotional classical blues flue and ’60s-inspired guitars, which are interestingly interwove into upbeat and energized keys. The dazzling and charismatic lyrics encourages listeners to learn to love each other before it’s too late, as unity can make the world a better place and heal the human race.
‘Can’t Stop Now’ is followed by ‘I’m Gonna Climb (to the Top of the Mountain,’ which also features the vocals of Lowe, Cann and Charles. The psychedelic rock tune is powerfully driven by radiant and soulful guitar riffs, flute melodies and drums beats. The singers enthrallingly croon that they’re determined to prove that they can do whatever they set their mind to, despite other people telling them that they can’t do it.
The next noteworthy entry on Rae’s latest album is ‘Water from the Fountain (Peace on Earth),’ which features Cann and Charles. The internationally-inspired spiritual song begins with an enchanting flute, which then give way to undertones of contemporary instrumentation that will surely relate to fans of modern music. The instruments are intriguingly combined with emotional and gospel-inspired lyrics, which include the musician’s hope that people will pray to cast the darkness in their lives far away. The track will be inspirational to many listeners who agree with Rae’s cultural beliefs, even if they’re not religious.
‘Water from the Fountain (Peace on Earth)’ is followed by ‘Walking Mandala,’ which features the vocals of Sumati Bates and Greg Cross. The euphoric tune features an entrancing acoustic guitar and harmonious choral-like and highly atmospheric vocals. The soothing ballad also features a placating and soulful blues guitar and cello that perfectly accompany the soulful vocals.
‘Can’t Stop Now’ then transitions into one of its best entries, ‘Waitin’ for the Light,’ which features Charles and Ryan Sam. The trio’s vocals are accompanied by a stimulating electric guitar and an astounding vibe from the keys. The Gospel-infused, but equally upbeat and catchy, song smartly adds energized percussion and intriguing layers of vocal harmonies. Rae relatably croons that she has walked the familiar path of loneliness before, but now she also feels like a divine presence is guiding her to freedom. The spiritually-inspired lyrics powerfully state that she’s fulfilling her destiny, and she’s happily being guided to improve her life.
The next track, ‘There’s Someone Watchin’ Over You,’ which features vocals by Cann, is also one of the most noteworthy tunes on Rae’s new record. Driven by an intense, blues and jazz-infused harmonica, the vocalists’ soulful singing is fueled by an astounding energy as they croon about how someone’s watching over them. Also backed by the electric guitar, bass, keys and flute, the lyrics offer the powerful message that someone is always protecting everyone around the world.
‘That Which Haith Been,’ which features Canns and Charles, is the next stunning tune, which is supported by the enthralling Gospel-inspired rhythms of the organ, accordion and cello. The vocalists stunning croon that they’re willing to surrender to God, especially as they search for guidance.
‘Can’t Stop Now’ then evolves into ‘Cast Away,’ which features the vocals of Cann and Charles. The penultimate entry features a haunting keyboard melody, which are beautifully interwoven with the graceful sounds of the flute and strings. The soft-rock song follows Rae as she croons that she’s determined to cast away her sorrows, and has hopes that her future will improve, as she’s guided from above.
The last track on Rae’s record is ‘Alowan (Song of Praise),’ which features Bates and Cross. It starts off with the gripping and enthralling sounds of the flute, which supports the singers’ soulful chants. This mantra-like vocalization features an international vibe, which is supported by the twang of the electric guitar and percussion. The trio powerfully ends ‘Can’t Stop Now’ by stating that love helps connect people.
The instigation of social consciousness is often led by a fearless pioneer who isn’t afraid to transcend labels or easy classification. Rae, who’s a classically trained musician, is also an unforgettable spiritual vagabond. Her noteworthy mission is to channel the Divine as she tirelessly works to raise awareness about, and bring change to, the world’s social injustices. The singer-songwriter is highlighting her determination to instill equality among everyone on ‘Can’t Stop Now,’ which features an eclectic mix of not only her best vocals and instrumentation, but also her important message of supporting everyone around the world.
For more information on Rae, visit her CD Baby, Spotify, Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter pages.
