I Listened To This Album Again So You Didn't Have To

Rhea Christie
Apr 4, 2021
2 min read

BRIGHT LIGHTS, RED EYES

- Ruel

AS LONG AS YOU CARE

When I first heard this I think I wasn’t too sure on this new style of Ruel, but it soon quickly became a song that I had on repeat for ages. I always enjoy a song that has meanings that not everyone would pick up on, and that is commonly seen throughout his songs. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of this song, but in my opinion it’s definitely a song that you’ll either love or hate; no in-between.

RATING: 8/10

DISTANCE

This song is incredible! I knew when I listened to this for the first time that it was going to be one of my favourites. I love that he’s telling a story that you can literally picture in your head, and he just sounds so good here.

RATING: 8.5/10

COURAGE

I automatically wasn’t vibing to this song and I don’t know why. The piano in the background just doesn’t sound very appealing to me, and the song overall just isn’t a bit of me but the lyrics I do enjoy. Maybe if the lyrics were matched with a different style of song, I’d probably enjoy it, so depending on my mood I’d either listen to to or skip past it.

RATING: 5/10

SAY IT OVER (FEAT. CAUTIOUS CLAY)

I had mixed opinions about this originally but after some time, especially when I watched the music video, I grew to like it. It’s a very slow-paced song that takes a bit of time to pick up but Cautious Clay’s part was a very nice addition to the song; it was definitely needed. For me, it doesn’t have a lot of meaning behind it so it probably isn’t one of my favourites lyrically.

RATING: 7/10

UP TO SOMETHING

Wow, this still gives me feels from when I first heard this and I instantly fell in love, its one of those songs that I could play like ten times in a row and not get bored of it. It’s just so beautiful, from the lyrics, instruments and his voice. When the beat kicks in for the chorus, it just added to the song so well, and then it picks up again for a few seconds which was brilliant. One of my favourite songs ever, this was amazing!

RATING: 9/10

Overall I think this album was a really good upgrade compared to his previous ep. His previous ep 'Ready' felt like more of a musical trial, whereas 'BLRE' definitely shows his maturity and talent improvement. I loved the fact he went with a very different style, showing his versatile style, and it was very 70's themed which was cool.

I would definitely recommend this album to anyone that has a alternative-pop style of music, with a bit of soul too. This has made me extremely excited for his new album that he's been working on so look out for that hopefully in the near future.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10