On March 4, Rayford released In Too Deep. The album mixes funk, blues, and soul to provide contemporary music with a traditional sound. Much like the greats before him such as Sam Cooke and Teddy Pendergrass, Sugaray Rayford delivers music with a message.
Out of the depths of his military service, came the song Invisible Soldier. Too often a taboo topic, Rayford embraced his experience with PTSD and sung what was probably too hard for words. Just as artists do, he lyrically expressed a difficult situation otherwise too sensitive for words. The song tells the story of sleepless nights and scenes that can’t escape his mind, “Same movie playing in my head/I can’t change the channel.” Despite the heavy lyrics, Invisible Soldier introduces the album with a confident wave of trumpets that ushered in the bass drum/hi hat duo that kept the song upbeat.
In Please Take My Hand, handclaps and stomps deliver the timely message of unity. To open, he alludes to the 3/5ths compromise of slavery and the oppression of African American people that still plague our thoughts today. Rayford sings, “Make love the rule/Let’s make hate the fool. Testify your truth/At the voting booth.” Against the track of humming and clapping, he urges for people to unite and if they seek change then vote to for politicians who accurately reflect their beliefs.
Sugaray Rayford sweeps us away with his sweet lyrics and encourages us to listen for more than the thumping bass line but to the stimulating lyrics.
Photo Credits from: https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/03/02/review-sugaray-rayford-in-too-deep/
