The Ruby Suns – Fight Softly

by Paul on March 10th, 2010

The Ruby Suns – Fight Softly
February 15th, 2010
Sub Pop
Score: 8.4

On opener ‘Sun Lake Rinsed’, The Ruby Suns mastermind Ryan McPhun is just warming up. Setting his backdrop awash in simple, pulsing synths and percussion, McPhun lets his falsetto soar and test its limits over the top as you cannot help but imagine yourself driving along the beach on a day described by the track’s title. From here, the reins gradually come off and what results is roughly 45 minutes of cover-to-cover guiltless and irresistible fun.

This is the Suns’ third full-length effort, their second with Sub Pop, and the experience shows. McPhun and company have always displayed a flair for incorporating world music into their sound, and frankly were fairly heavy-handed with it. 2008’s Sea Lion featured tracks entitled ‘Oh, Mojave’ and ‘Kenya Dig It?’, for example, and while the music itself never felt hackneyed or contrived, there was a sense that maybe the African and Caribbean influences contained a bit of pretension, or were at least tongue-in-cheek. Any of these suspicions are gone on Fight Softly, however, as they have found a groove in which all of the music they love fits. The medium this time around is electronic, which may seem like an insincere one for a band so interested in incorporating world music. Their goal isn’t an authentic reproduction or survey, but rather a lighthearted journey filled with hooks you can’t escape.

The dominant voice on the album is McPhun’s, and it is unclear what role the other two touring members of the band play, but really it is inconsequential: all the vocals are his, including harmonies, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find that he is largely responsible for the arrangements as well. In an unexpected turn, the first half of the album sets the table for the second half, and even though a sample of Jack Buck’s classic home run call invites listeners to “Go crazy!”, it shows restraint until first single ‘Cranberry’ marks a significant shift in aesthetic. Blending a mix of Afro-Caribbean styles that is now indicative of the band’s sound, it features a sinfully catchy chorus that is so simple it’s mind-boggling, but irresistible nonetheless.

This happens more often than not, where as soon as one chorus is ingrained, the next one promptly replaces it. As with many dance albums, lyrics are not exactly McPhun’s strong point, occasionally breaching on the sophomoric, but when paired with his melodies, it is a forgivable weakness. Not every track lacks depth, though. Highlight ‘Closet Astrologer’ is an example of self-examination that never gets too far past the superficial, but he reaches some conclusions as his voice seems to climb almost infinitely. Some will point out similarities to Animal Collective in the Suns’ approach, but really they are more respectful nods than shameless imitation and McPhun draws as much on the synthpop and dance of the 80s, most specifically Michael Jackson. To dismiss the album as dependent on these influences overlooks their infatuation with music from different cultures. Towards the end of the album are ‘Dusty Fruit’ and ‘Two Humans’, which are both microcosms of the band’s M.O. The former is a Caribbean-inspired shuffle with layered synthetic marimba and perfect island harmonies and percussion and the latter is a sultry groove that again features African percussion and almost vaporous keys that are meant to recreate a woman’s voice accompanying a conversation between lovers.

While it might be possible for some to toss Fight Softly off as derivative or superficial upon first listen, they are likely missing some of the ethnomusicological intricacies of McPhun’s writing in addition to some of the more delicate and inescapable pop songs that we will see this year.

Paul Bulow

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