Mura Masa — R.Y.C — Album Review
Alternative | Nu-Disco
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The second album from 23-year-old producer Mura Masa, R.Y.C (Raw Youth Collage) is the first full project of his that I’ve listened to. This was mainly following how impressed I was with his couple of collaborations with slowthai, one of which, “Deal Wiv It” is thankfully on this newest project.
With only the little I had heard involving Mura Masa, I was still unsure as to what to expect going into R.Y.C. What we ended up with, is a musical scrapbook which highlights the anxieties and frustrations of modern day youth.
It became a lo clearer upon listening to the full album why I thought that Mura Masa and slowthai do so well when collaborating together; they both seem to have really mastered the art of relatability, especially when considering a demographic of roughly my age. That was most certainly the case with slowthai’s 2019 album, Nothing Great About Britain, which ended up being one of my favourite albums of that previous year, and featured the other song I had heard involving Mura Masa; the incredible “Doorman”.
But enough about slowthai, as it is Mura Masa I’m reviewing today. That same relatability applies to R.Y.C most certainly. To boost this, this newest album is both lyrically and musically nostalgic, with a lot of the acoustic guitar melodies and sunny beats remind me of my childhood days quite considerably.
While this album puts on such a nostalgic front, however, that is pretty much all there is to contribute to the memorability of R.Y.C. In many places, it does feel rather dull and even skeletal in some of its production.
I did still enjoy this project, but to me it felt somewhat like more of a quick fix than something that is going to continue sticking to me. I found it to be a fun little project, but still feel that there is still room to improve. But given that R.Y.C is only a sophomore project from Mura Masa, that definitely doesn’t seem like too impossible a feat.
Favourite Tracks: Deal Wiv It | vicarious living anthem | Teenage Headache Dreams
Least Favourite Track: a meeting at an oak tree
Universal Music Operations Limited | Polydor | Anchor Point Records
