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about this album
“Here I Am” is a record of growing up, a soundtrack of twenty-something malaise. Each song is an emotional missile in a carefully synth-wrapped package, exploring all the new and painful ways a heart can be broken—by first (or fifth) loves, by family, by our own expectations. However, catchy beats and a call-response electro pop sensibility (think Fever Ray or M83) keep “Here I Am” from sliding into maudlin simplicity. The first track, “Oh”, with its slow build and commanded “Don’t bring me back!” refrain—which sounds as close to angry as Ryli’s delicate vocals allow—will have you humming for days. A clear voiced piano ballad, reminiscent of Bat For Lashes minus the headdress, turns “Forgive You” into a shattering testament of family dysfunction. ”Sometimes”, best listened to while holding hands with a loved one so you don’t get too sad, takes on ambivalence at the passage of time, and the sudden realization that we don’t have too much of it: “Sometimes I feel like I can’t get my head out of the sand/ And sometimes I feel like my days are getting shorter.” Although the array of instrumentation and effects is enviable, masterful mixing by Venezuelan/Chile-residing producer Ricardo Pujol keeps Ryli’s expressive alto (move over, Hope Sandoval) and confessional lyrics front and center. ”Here I Am”, if it could be read, is a coming-of-age diary appropriate for all ages. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
