by 
The ambition tagged along with a prospective creative project is often short-lived. I, for one, have roughly a half-dozen sketchbooks filled a third of the way full, twenty books on my shelf that I have never read and a hundred songs that have been learned and subsequently forgotten on guitar. Prior to the release of her debut album SAYA, Japanese Canadian musician Saya Gray was similarly frustrated with her lack of creative cohesion.
Gray’s previous releases oozed charm despite their lack of polish. Her 2022 project 19 MASTERS wasn’t dissimilar to an unfilled sketchbook, an untouched bookshelf or an array of loose melodies hanging in the air. The project (dutifully not referred to as an album by Gray herself) is a collection of voice memos, with certain tracks such as “SEEDLESS FRUITS (OF MY LABOUR)” being created when Gray was just 14 years old. While there is merit in taking a shot with your experiments, eventually shots are labeled as one of two things: hits and misfires.
In 2023 the Toronto-based musician went where most do in pursuit of creative refinement and clearer headspace: the road. SAYA’s inception began like a typical singer-songwriter album; it was written in a van with only a guitar while Gray was traveling through her mother’s home country of Japan. Gray took the scraps of what the record could be with her to a studio in California, where they received an art-pop blow out.
Gray impresses with her ability to balance her maturing musicality with her immature charm. She approaches each track with both a familiar bite and a calculated message. The opening track “..THIS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE )” is a prime example of this; Gray chops her voice around the track, trying out different inflections like a kid fidgeting with different toys. Gray welcomes springtime with an emphatic claim that she will NOT fall in love. Meanwhile, bells, whistles (and what sounds like bubbles popping) skitter across a thick bassline and slick guitar chords.
The following cut “SHELL ( OF A MAN )” is another massive triumph for Gray both musically and vulnerably. A catchy guitar lick that makes you wonder “How did no one else come up with this before?” leads the way for Gray to flex her songwriting muscles.
Call you out, call me rude, and I’ll show you, If you don’t like me now, you’re gonna hate me later
The lyrics create a sharp image of Gray as a partner; she can be prickly and tepid. However, other lines such as “I’ve lasted this long as a rubber ball, you pick me up and throw me up against the wall” provides justification to Gray’s attitude.
Such is the narrative purpose of SAYA: justification for actions, insight into Gray’s imaginative world, and a giant sign that reads “I COULDN’T CARE LESS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME!” The question “Since when is there two opinions to every decision?” is posed in the interlude “CATS CRADLE!”, which Gray seeks to answer throughout the rest of the album.
While Gray may not care how she is perceived, she still lays all her cards on the table in moments of honest introspection. My personal favorite track on SAYA is “PUDDLE ( OF ME )”, the emotional low point of the album. The instrumental is stripped of all the frill that’s present on other tracks, making way for an intoxicating drum loop and skilled guitar work. Gray refutes the way she has been treated in a previous bond while still allowing the person an opportunity to come back if they want.
You know there’s a puddle of me at your feet, isn’t that what you needed of me? You know how obsessed I can get, with your needle and thread pulling in out of me.
While there are some other highlights on the record like “10 WAYS ( TO LOSE A CROWN )” and “LIE DOWN..”, there are multiple moments where it feels that Gray has sacrificed complete tracks for the sake of cohesion. This has created a peculiar dynamic where the album is at its best when listened to in its entirety but has multiple songs that don’t do enough to make their way out of the context of the record.
Where Gray’s previous releases felt more like a melting pot where ingredients are tossed in with no rhyme or reason, SAYA is more akin to the eclectic menu of a fine-dining restaurant. The type of restaurants that are just as much visual experiences as they are for your tastebuds. While the whole meal ends up being delicious, the portions are too small, and diners are left hungry for more. As I listened to SAYA more and more, I felt inclined to return to her previous releases and watch all her live performances. Gray is one of the most talented and exciting pop artists in the world, and I already can’t wait to see what she does next.
