There’s mysteriousness about Rhye, with little in the way of promo material or info about the musicians on the CD notes. The first presumption you make is completely wrong: that the woman’s nape of the neck on the album cover might belong to the same soft, Sade-like vocalist. The singer is actually a dude, Mike Melosh, here making sweet, sexy sounds with Quadron’s Robin Hannibal on production duties.
The two Danes combine forces to create a beautiful, polished album of lush, yet stripped-back songs of passionate love. There are strong soul and R&B influences, but they strip these genres of their excesses. It’s a sound that can come dangerously close to Cafe del Mar blandness, but you can’t help but be seduced by these ten songs. The gentle, seductive ballads are where Rhye are at their most potent, though the duo up the tempo at all the right moments, with the odd burst of cheesy brass. The refreshingly minimal approach to the vocals and accompanying music make them comparable to The XX, with less of that band’s aching melancholy. These are clearly songs about love, not loss; even the short-term romance of 3 Days is celebratory rather than tragic.
Clocking in at just half an hour, Woman is a brief encounter, but one that leaves you wanting more.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Open
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Coexist THE XX, Lovers Rock SADE, No World INC
In A Word: Smooth
