BEST NEW SONG: RY X - YA YA YA

RY X hasn’t done much to switch up his style that put him on our radar over five years ago, and that's perfectly fine by us. His sophomore effort Unfurl is due out next year, which means bits and pieces of the project are starting to make their way into the real world. Last month saw the release of “Untold” and “Beyond” and today the best song of the bunch has arrived.

“YaYaYa” follows the typical RY X template in which things start out scarce as minimalistic instrumentals provide a canvas for Ry Cuming to pile layers upon. Cuming’s haunting and flawless falsetto due to the heavy lifting early on, backed by some light guitar picking. Percussions and piano are added to the proceedings at the chorus. For good measure, there’s lush harmonies and chill-inducing backing vocals.

The lyrics here are opaque and mysterious, yet still somehow evocative.

"I think my mission statement was simply to remain vulnerable and to capture that within this album," the artist said about the upcoming record. "The inspirations change each time, and I always want to allow that process to be free, to draw on new ideas and sounds and instrumentation. But what feels consistently important to me is keeping a sense of rawness and honesty in the work."

“YaYaYa” certainly hits the mark as far as all that is concerned. But don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself now.

RY X - YA YA YA

Unfurl is due out February 15th via Jive Records. RY X will be touring North America in support of the record. Dates and venues for that can be found below. European readers should be sure to check out the artist’s official site for more dates, including what Ry called a dream show at Royal Albert Hall complete with the London Contemporary Orchestra!

MAR 23 — Brooklyn, NY — Murmrr Theatre
MAR 24 — Montreal, QC — Le National
MAR 25 — Toronto, ON — The Great Hall Tuesday
MAR 26 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall Thursday
MAR 27 — Los Angeles, CA — The Theatre at Ace Hotel F
MAR 28 — San Francisco, CA — Grace Cathedral
APR 01 — Portland, OR — The Old Church
APR 02 — Vancouver, BC — Rio Theatre
APR 03 — Seattle, WA — Nordstrom Recital Hall
APR 06 — Mexico City — Teatro de la Ciudad

Calvin Paradise is not any one thing. The half-hearted vagabond and forgetful luddite currently resides in Los Angeles and how he spends his time is none of your damned business.