Music has a unique power, one where an artist can create a feeling with a sound. Any listener can hear when a song has heart, or tries to create a powerful emotion within the listener. Andrea Ward, however, has created an incredibly evocative blend of aesthetics in “Ribbon of Water.” The album wastes no time in luring in the curious listener with the first track.
“Game” is an enticing intro track, with soft and slightly haunting vocals to lead the listener in. These vocals are flanked by a haunting, ambient marimba-led instrumental that emphasizes the ethereal quality of the vocals. When the bass takes over the track around the 1-minute mark, the hypnotic quality it brings leads you into an equally hypnotic and psychedelic sitar solo that’s backed by some powerful percussion. All of this makes “Game” an enticing track that establishes the vocal aesthetic of Andrea Ward with a catchy chorus that dances perfectly with the deep bassline and spacey aesthetic.
“Algorithm” starts with a powerful pulse from the percussion that draws the listener in when combined with Andrea Ward’s otherworldly vocal aesthetic. It’s hard to resist moving your head to the beat of the drums as it dances with the bass until Andrea Ward cries “break out of the cycle, out of your algorithm.” From here, the track moves to a bit more of an ambient aesthetic before the drums take command again about halfway through the track. The soft vocals have a descending punch to them when backed by the powerful kicks of the bass drum, giving the track a surprisingly powerful quality. This is backed up by lines such as “there is no algorithm for the rain. It’s an animal at play” towards the end of the track that have an intensely hypnotic quality and gives the track a powerful presence on the album.
The acoustic guitar and deep bass that introduces “Visiting Rooms” is easy to get lost in, especially when the muffled percussion creeps in subtly behind it. The track has a haunting aesthetic when combined with Ward’s ethereal vocals. Her voice shows its power on this track, with lines such as “but I won’t wait for no conclusions. I won’t wait for no conclusions” showing it off by rising above the strong instrumentals. While the aesthetic of the muffled, underwater drums might not be for everyone, it certainly gives “Visiting Rooms” a unique aesthetic that you’ll want to hear for yourself.
“Ribbon of Water” is a powerful album that’s full of unique listening experiences. From start to finish, the use of interesting instrumental combinations creates the perfect stage for the ethereal vocals of Andrea Ward. The incredible power of her vocals backed by evocative and immersive instrumentals is one that is hard to pull away from once it captivates the listener. “Ribbon of Water” is an album full of emotion and power and is perfect for those looking for a unique listening experience.
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