Ruthless Empire Rina Kent

Rina Sawayama blesses us with her latest genre bending record SAWAYAMA. This album fuses heavy rock, house, pop, industrial electronic and 90s electro-dance. Dynasty is the opening track, a cinematic piece that starts quietly but erupts into a heavy rock anthem. This aggressive rock motif is carried further on STFU!, a jarring, hyper-volatile track where the instability of the verse/chorus genres coupled with the unusual harmony make for an interesting listen. Things take a stylistic turn on the album’s hit single Comme des Garcons (Like the Boys) which opens with the mix engineer asking ‘can I just record you doing that?’ This song is a true pleasure to listen to, featuring a mixture of funk, house, pop, disco, all held together by a tight modern production. The chorus’ lyrics ‘Comme des garcons…