Black in Deep Red, 2014, is a snapshot of a crowd in the thralls of protest. It is three tracks; all very different to each other and all very uncharacteristic of Moses Sumney’s style.
‘Call-to-Arms’ brings in Sumney’s solemn humming over a finger-picked, spacey guitar, reminiscent of the style that called attention to him originally. This stripped back environment only lasts half a minute before Sumney is surrounded by percussion and several guitars – this track is a rollercoaster of steady builds and subtle drops, ending on a jazz-inspired chaotic conclusion.
‘Rank & File’is the only track with lyrics, beginning with a sampled speech. It leaks intensity with a mesh of elements playing underneath a choir of humming and screams, creating the unsettling but enjoyable environment Sumney has built.
All musicians are producing art, but few are able to capture a pure image and immortalise it in music like Moses Sumney has done in Black in Deep Red, 2014.
9/10
