ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There are times when it’s somewhat hard deciding what to write about on here and this week was one of those times since there’s been a lot of other news to cover. After some thought, I decided to do an album review and after I decided that, I went online to see if there were any new albums recently released.
Among the ones already released this month so far was Say She She’s newest album “Cut & Rewind.” I had never heard of the band before and after thinking “Well, their name certainly sounds fun,” I found the album on YouTube and I am SO glad I did so, because it ended up being a great listen.
To give a bit of background on the band, it’s based out of Brooklyn, NY and is comprised of Piya Malik, Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown, all of whom are classically trained singers (already a win). According to the band’s bio, Malik and Cunningham originally met as neighbors in the same apartment building and could hear each other practicing and eventually became friends. They were later joined by Brown for a spontaneous rooftop singing session at a party and ended up becoming Say She She and writing songs and performing.
Fast-forward to the group’s newest “Cut & Rewind” album, I first have to give a ton of praise to the trio’s vocals. Malik, Cunningham and Brown are all insanely talented and it’s almost like they’ve been performing together for decades instead of just since 2019. There are multiple moments throughout the album that feature legit three-part harmonies, and they are GORGEOUS to listen to. The best way I can describe the trio’s vocals is they’re basically a 60s or 70s girl group but with a modern sound, and it all COMPLETELY works. The group describes its sound as "discodelic soul with dreamy harmonies that prominently combines disco and 70s funk, among other influences” and those influences come out so, so well. The ladies’ voices are able to dance around each other AND come together throughout the album’s songs, and the overall effect is rather dazzling. Overall, the vocals from all three leading ladies are fantastic both individually and together, making for a great listen.
The disco/funk influences are also heard big time with the instrumentals, and it’s all EXTREMELY catchy, especially from bass player Dale Jennings, who rocks out on each song. His bass lines are so good and catchy that if it were possible to give a special Grammy Award for best bass playing on an album, he would at he very least be a nominee. In fact, I can’t help but wonder how/why he’s not more well known. The instrumentals overall really help play into that modern disco/funk vibe, and it’s done in a way that honors that genre and its influences. In terms of instrumentals, my favorite songs would have to be “Cut & Rewind” and “Possibilities.” Overall, the backing band and instrumentals on this album are outstanding.
I also liked the lyric work throughout the album, the lyrics are super fun and cool, making for an enjoyable listen. In terms of lyrics, my favorite songs include “Cut & Rewind” (which is all about how the path to success is basically a repetitive process of grinding and cutting every day until your goal is reached), “Chapters” (which is about navigating the complexities and different chapters of a relationship as well as questioning the idea of eternal love and everything that comes with it, which I found rather refreshing for a love song), and “Little Kisses,” which is all about how a relationship should be more about the little moments of love and caring and not just the big, grand gestures. Another particular favorite song is “She Who Dares, which tackles the challenges faced by women who go against societal norms to forge their own paths – I found it particularly relevant to not only what many women, young and old, are facing in today’s society, but the fights and struggles women have had to deal with basically since time immemorial. “She Who Dares” isn’t necessarily an in-your-face battle song, but one would have to be really, really dense to not get the subtext, and I also found the ending of the song somewhat heartbreaking. Overall, I feel like Say She She’s goal for this album was to make it a fun listen, and it shows, because the lyric work is solid throughout the album save for “Shop Boy,” which I honestly wouldn’t have missed if it wasn’t on the album.
Overall, I’m very glad of my discovery of the band Say She She and will probably look up any other albums of theirs on YouTube at some point in the future. I very much enjoyed their new “Cut & Rewind” album and would give it a solid “A” grade. The vocals are outstanding both individually, and there are multiple moments of absolutely gorgeous harmonies from the leading ladies that are reminiscent of a 60s or 70s girl group but dropped in a modern era. The instrumentals do a wonderful job of helping capture that modern disco/funk vibe, especially bass player Dale Jennings, who absolutely rocks out on each song and deserves all the awards. Overall, the vocals and instrumentals come together beautifully for an enjoyable listen, and the lyrics are also fun and light, though there is also some depth. If you’re looking for a good modern disco/funk album featuring great vocals and instrumentals, “Cut & Rewind” from Say She She is a good one to cue up.
