Home - Rhye: Review

Rhye

is the R&B project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Milosh. The project emerged mysteriously about a decade ago uploading their earliest singles online with very little known about who was behind them. Home is the projects 4th album and third in just the last 4 years. 

Review By Lav:

I ended up not doing a formal review of the 3rd Rhye record back in 2019 since it was so short and came so quickly after Blood that it felt like an afterthought but in retrospect I wish I had covered it. Not because the record is incredible or anything but because I knew Rhye was an artist I was going to keep up with even though it took me a little to get to Home. Given my enjoyment of the first two albums from the project I was excited for what this record might offer, and while it all feels very familiar, well, it all feels VERY familiar. 

The first two singles we heard from the record were obviously the most up-beat and accessible but I was mixed on the pair. Helpless isn't a bad song but it is absolutely drowning in Toro Y Moi influence from the icy keys and thick bassline to the layers of sauntering vocal lines.  The song sounds good but its distractingly derivative and not as catchy as I would have liked. Black Rain is the other song on the record that feels like it was made specifically to be a single and it works really well. The two-step drums serves as a catchy base with a catchy hood and well placed flashes of orchestral instrumentation working on top of it. 

The record also had two other singles that take a more measured approach and I turned out pretty mixed on them too. Come In Closer is the opening track kicking off the record with a slick unconventionally structured ode to letting someone into your life. While the drum kicks are a bit rudimentary the song is no doubt pretty with Milosh's fragile catchy vocal harmonies weaving in and out of one another. Beautiful on the other hand doesn't do as much for me as the instrumental is just such a drag during the verses. Even though it picks up in a groovy way on the hook none of the vocal refrains are really that memorable or reinforce each other in any way. 

Safeword has emerged as one of my favorite songs on the record with a detailed array of instrumentation on offer and a sensual portrayal of intimacy. The title of the track is truly t8aken at face value and the lyricism is metaphorical but completely unashamed. The track is a lively and impassioned highlight for sure. Hold You Down is an interesting track, while there are pieces of it I really enjoy including a simple but effective hook there isn't a moment on the song that totally blows me away. Thankfully the track does build on its refrains with heavenly backing vocals and some bouncy guitar soloing. My Heart Bleeds is an intimate fusion of R&B and dance music that is decent but runs totally by the numbers. There isn't much that is genuinely exciting about the song but in the right situation I can enjoy it. The last full track on the record is Holy one of the murkier songs on the album with minimalist instrumentation that feels early Phil Collins like. The vocals are soft but impactful nonetheless and its impossible to deny how slick everything about the song is. 

Need A Lover doesn't really impress me starting with the vocals which are slightly less produced than at other points on the record but the results aren't ideal. The songs lyricism and vocals also don't really seem to match the slow and slightly off kilter instrumental and when all is said and done I'm not sure what the point is. Sweetest Revenge has a similar mismatched issue with some pretty serious lyricism that doesn't translate into the sound of the song itself. While that divide can sometimes be really compelling it feels really awkward here. I like parts of the instrumental and the disconnect certainly doesn't ruin the track completely but it definitely holds it back. Finally there's Fire, of all the songs I've ever heard referencing fire this one is definitely the sleepiest. The hook is a total drag and the instrumental is incredibly dry and forgettable even when extra pieces of instrumentation are dragged in. 

Home will sound sonically familiar to anyone who has heard recent Rhye projects but it isn't as exciting as the projects best work. The sensual mystique it puts on display so consistently isn't enough on its own to carry the entire record and the songwriting and instrumental shortcomings start to add up particularly on the albums back half. While I'll still be keeping my eyes on the project I'm hoping Milosh takes his time releasing the next album and returns to the stark captivating form of the first two records. 5/10

Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:

This cover is nicely center weighted and uses a double exposure concept well. The way the hair mimics the clouds and the bokeh from the portrait feeds into the sunlight gives the cover some depth. The contrasting colors give it a very nice palette but doesn't go too harsh on the typical sunset color scheme. I don't enjoy the placement of the text and I think if you would have moved it to the bottom it could've used up some of that dead space since it's a very top heavy composition.  7/10 

For more R&B check out my review of Kali Uchis Sin Miedo here