The new album from multi-instrumentalist Saira Raza is an emotive attempt to decipher the natural evolution that comes with existence, and an effort to synthesize past experiences. As such, Inertia is the perfect introduction to a new year. Raza has been writing and perfecting the album for nearly three years, and the constant dedication she has shown is evident in the precision of each of the 8 songs on the record.
Raza frequently collaborates with Atlanta producer 10th Letter, playing vibraphone on his records and live with the 10th Letter Ensemble. On Inertia, he returns the favor by adding playful, atmospheric synth lines and aiding in the writing, mixing, and mastering of the album. 10th Letter’s ability to capture wonder and transform it into notes and chords is visible throughout the record, but Raza also utilizes the musical sensibilities of other artists, most notably Dylan Banks’s cello arrangement on “Sources of Heat,” and Eric Grantham’s understated drumming on the title track. Raza is never overshadowed by the talented guests; instead they buoy her personality throughout the record as her artistic voice shines like a unifying ray of light.
Inertia is somewhat of rarity in that it is conceptually unified, but musically diverse. Throughout the record, Raza traverses various interpretations of jazz, from the psychedelic to the ambient, with a lavish dose of exotica. However, in its truest form, Inertia is a folk album. In a broad sense, traditional folk provides cultural insight and lessons without preaching or lecturing, and that is precisely what Raza reinvents throughout the course of the record. Here, Raza is the performer and the audience, and the listener is drawn into her internal village as she wrestles with the collective truths of her past.
The album was inspired by various aspects of Raza’s life and personality. She explained via email that during her upbringing she was “caught between many cultural, religious, and socio-economic worlds, in which I had to know when to perform which side of myself to fit in.” This tenuous internal balance and this musical synthesis feels natural but urgent, as if Raza’s past experiences are writing the songs of their own accord and Raza is simply the mouthpiece, playing a New Age Pythia.
Raza may struggle to define her musical voice, but she has no trouble accessing or displaying it. Inertia is at turns both confusing and exciting, but Raza cares not for the listener’s comfort, only for the transmission of her own personal folklore. Whether or not her catharsis is complete, Inertia is a rigorous journey which is emotionally replenishing with each repeat listen.
More Info
Web: sistersai.com
Bandcamp: sairaraza.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: @sistersai
Twitter: @sistersai