Rhye ‎– Blood

Very bad pressing. A lot of pop and clicks. Very disappointed.

Rhye is like a fragile flower standing out in a vast field of wild flowers on an early summer's day. Their second album is even better then their first, 'Woman'. It builds upon the first, but adds more depth and sophistication. Once more, a Canadian act invades my ears and manages to pour a sweet blend of sound and voice wrapped in meaningful lyrics into my veins. Rhye will do good in a set with songs from Cigarettes After Sex, The XX, The Acid, Ry x, Skye & Ross, Morcheeba and Agnes Obel to name but a few.

Singer Mike Milosh may sound like the woman depicted on the cover, but despite his voice he is nothing near to a woman. He is the male version of Sade somehow, though apparently he does not like Sade himself. Born from soft rock and post-R&B however he does bring about an atmosphere that comes close to Sade's 'Soldier of Love'. But comparisons never do anyone any good, so on to the music itself. Put down the needle and brace yourself for music that sounds like as if a storm is immanent, yet it never really bursts out in the end. It's goosebump-music, music that puts a strain just below your skin. It's like a tiny rush of cold wind after half a day of sunbathing, like a drop of cold water after a hot tub, like one flake of snow on your nose in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Be ready for funky basslines, handclapping, gentle rhodes, synthpop, a seductive and enchanting voice, a touch of guitar, some fuzz and some reverb, not too much echo... All tracks are ready to burst out, but never do. It is as if the musicians at that crucial point, when a track could turn into a true orgasm of sound and energy manage to refrain themselves. The entire album is like one big flirt, one attempt at finding true love, at advancing by one small step at a time, longing for passion and driven by lust, yet retained by ratio over emotion. Maybe, departing from his previous wife and finding new love is indeed mirorred throughout the entire album. A broken heart beating wildly being questioned by the memory of it's being broken. Maybe that is why in 'Phoenix' he sings 'This kind of love ain't stable, Oh it's gotta hold on me'. It's like the person on the other side faces the same struggle as he sings 'I wouldn't love you wrong, We're not alone, you're my sinful' on 'Sinful'.

Just get a copy and join the band on this emotional trip. It's worth doing so and you might just encounter yourself on the way...

My pressing is perfect 10/10.
no hairlines, clicks or pops. The sound is rich and Derp. Printed inner sleeves were replace straight away for inner plastic ones from katta japan.
Amazing album

UO website says limited to 600 just for them, so it could be a separate release.

My copy of this is pretty clean, dead centered, and zero warp. Sounds great, surface noise is very slight, but the texture of the sound is excellent. Can even hear the noise of the action of the piano. Good mastering and an enjoyable album for slowing things down.

Amazing music, but too much paperdust, hairlines and scuffs because low quality inner sleeve. May be US pressings is best quality.

The actual mastering of the music on this LP is great, but this is the noisest pressing of a new release that I've had in ages. Disappointing.