Saya Gray – “SHELL ( OF A MAN )”
Back when I saw Saya Gray on her tour in June, I didn’t know what to expect. After the Moroccan Lounge date quickly sold out, it led me to wonder… what is it like to attend a Saya Gray show, especially for an artist whose output varies as widely as hers? I quickly found out. That cult-like imagery that she used in the video for “AA BOUQUET FOR YOUR 180 FACE?” Yeah, that shit is basically real. Arms were waving, people were screaming, and Saya Gray killed it. The energy felt palpable in the room. I’m a fan.
I can only imagine what future Saya Gray shows will look like now she’s back with country-influenced acoustic song “SHELL ( OF A MAN ),” off her long-awaited debut album SAYA out February 21 of next year.
I’ve often tried to pin down how to describe Gray’s music, but it’s definitely a moving target… there’s a little bit of ambient and indie pop here, a sprinkling of R&B there. “SHELL ( OF A MAN ),” might be one of her most accessible songs, but that doesn’t take away from the factors that make her music great. There’s a restlessness here that is propelled by Gray’s crisp guitar strums and sighing vocals – bringing to mind some of the moving parts that made songs like “IF THERE’S NO SEAT…” so intriguing and ear-catching. And of course, lyrics like, “This will be the last song about you and your voodoo doll fetish / There’s a difference in visiting a memory and living in the past,” speak volumes about Gray’s way of voicing her desire to keep moving forward. If the rest of the album continues with this trend, it’ll be a good one.
Here’s a snippet about what Gray had to say about her album, taken from her Instagram, and it about sums it up:
“THIS IS A RECORD FOR YOUR TRANSITIONS (EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL), FOR YOUR HEARTBREAKS AND JOURNEYS FROM POINT A TO B. AN ALBUM TO DROP THE SHIT YOU DON’T WANT TO AND PICK UP WHAT YOU NEED…”
SAYA will be released on February 21st, 2025 on Dirty Hit.
Header photo by Jennifer Cheng.
Artist pages: Bandcamp | Dirty Hit | Instagram | Spotify | Website
Li-Wei Chu is the chief editor of From the Intercom. When he’s not editing drafts and searching for new artists to cover for the website, he loves watching cult films, cooking, and listening to his ever-growing collection of vinyl records. You can follow him on LetterBoxd and make fun of his taste in movies here!