Noya Rao - Stay [EP Review]
In their latest EP ‘Stay’, Leeds-based quartet Noya Rao continue to impress with their irresistible soul and synth-soaked jams, treating us to a series of woozy, luscious soundscapes crafted to energise and captivate.
Built up of vocalist Olivia Bhattacharjee, producer and key player Tom Henry (also of Gotts Street Park, Cosima and Yellow Days), drummer Matt Davies and bassist Jim Wiltshire, Noya Rao are a wildly inventive band, boasting a sound reminiscent of a more jazz-driven Little Dragon. Championing a dedicated DIY ethos and an appreciation for a vibrant array of genres and styles, Noya Rao meld the lo-fi aesthetics and intricate arrangements of jazz with dance floor friendly beats and dense, dreamlike electronic production. Above this lush rainforest of sounds swoop Bhattacharjee’s sighing, soulful vocals, which are as much a part of the band’s digital sonic ecosystem as the dizzy synths and splashing, melting beats. The group seem to have it all going for them, marking out their own path by nailing a sound that’s driven by an old school, in-depth understanding of music to craft songs that are of the moment, vivacious and undeniably cool.
‘Stay’ is the third project that the band have released, following their 2019 EP ‘Owls’ and 2017 album ‘Icaros‘. The addition of ‘Stay’ displays the group’s impressive consistency even as their sound has naturally developed and gently bloomed. Having carved out their own place in music, it seems that their main focus is to build upon it. And they’re right to do so, as the five bright, swirling tracks that make up ‘Stay’ are brilliantly constructed and a pure pleasure to sink into.
Throughout the project, warm, expansive instrumentals lead us into surreal, psychedelic worlds which glow with romantic energy and thoughtful emotion. It’s also thanks to Bhattacharjee’s languorous, ethereal vocals too that we are transported to such evocative scenes. With enigmatic lyricism, the band’s lead vocalist leads us on an intoxicating path, through feelings of longing and past moments of reflection. The atmosphere is mesmerising and delicate, but can you also boogie to these bops? Yes you can. It’s also exciting to listen to a project that’s both retro-tinged and futuristic, where 80’s inspired synths and a jazzy atmosphere are brushed with spacey production and playful digital effects, giving everything a fresh feel. Overall, what Noya Rao are creating is entirely their own, and it’s clear that the band have both the style, substance and flair to hit the big time.
Speaking on the EP, Noya Rao explained, “We selected the songs on this EP for their energy and hope they exude a tone of the season. It’s music that you want to listen to as the sun sets, it’s music that makes you feel something.”
Listen to Noya Rayo’s brilliant new EP, ‘Stay’, here: