Gender-bending indie R&B act Rhye (Canadian vocalist Michael Milosh and Danish instrumentalist Robin Hannibal) recently released “Please” and “Summer Days” as a follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album Woman (2013). The latter, with its uptempo beat and optimistic vibe, is something of a departure from the downtempo minimalistic sonic portraits of intimacy that the duo are known for. The former is very much in line with their best-known single “Open”, with Milosh’s Sade-esque vocals crooning, cooing, and sighing out a heartfelt and sensual paean to romantic vulnerability:
'Oh, baby please
Oh, my heart's on the pavement
Oh, baby please
Oh, my heart's on the pavement
Where we're building you and me
Don't cry that way'
Lyrics:
Milosh’s contralto androgynous vocals are put to great use once again, delicately blurring the line between apologies, appeals and demands while repairing a wounded romantic bond. The track is accompanied by black-and-white music video that features apt interpretive modern dance choreography. It also serves as a glimpse of what’s to come:
“Because we play live so much, we’ve built this show that’s somewhat different from Woman. It’s a little more psychedelic. I wanted to bring that to the second record. I really wanted to incorporate much more soulful and earthy colors. It had to be all live percussion and piano. The human intimacy had to come through the actual instrumentation on this record. ‘Please’ is the stepping stone to where we’re headed.”
Milosh, CoS
