It’s truly been a privilege to hear the evolution that Ruby Grove has had from their debut release back in March of 2023 up until now with the impending arrival of their 1st EP, Ripple Effect, right around the corner. Consisting of six tracks, three of which have been previously released into the wild including aforementioned first offering “Maybe It’s Time”, Ripple Effect shows even more growth with a collection of songs that are more a continuation of the Ruby Grove sound and less a culmination.
Lead track “Ocean Sun” is a great example of that acting as the perfect introductory piece of music if this is your first taste and embodying all of what Ruby Grove is about up to this point which is a psychedelic hybrid of Blues and Soul infused with elements of Alternative and Trip-Hop. And then “Lazy River” highlights the “continuation” half of our opening statement in this gargantuan follow-up that clocks in at a whopping seven minutes and then some but still feels like barely a minute has passed when all is said and done. The stuff that’s said and done? Well, you’ve got some big grooves from Cedric Lamour and Sage Gibbons’ respective bass and drum rhythmic unit, Sergio Romero’s guitar licks accenting the atmosphere and Melissa Nilles’ vocals presenting a soulful boom like a siren as the keys play out a timeless melody reminiscent of an Andrew Lloyd Webber masterpiece.
Next up, “Echo” is simply gorgeous, glistening from start to finish as string embellishments intertwine with NIlles’ twinkling synths as subtle bass work from Lamour and Gibbons’ sticks play counterpoint to both Romero’s differing runs and then Nilles’ swooping voice. Previous single “Crystal Land” drops by after that and just hits like a single should, y’know? It’s the kind of tune that immediately stands out and, in this case, followed the debut release of “Maybe It’s Time” with the same kind of sonic subtlety as Lady Gaga unleashing “Bad Romance” following The Fame. Speaking of “Maybe It’s Time”, inside of Ripple Effect the track also just hits different with the bones of what was to come abundantly clear as Nilles scats out a Blues-soaked melody to start on a track that initially brought to mind Soul Coughing with the way Ruby Grove merged styles seamlessly.
The aptly titled “Stopping Point” brings about the end of Ripple Effect with Lamour’s bass nicely playing off of Romero’s riffs and rippin’ solos on this giant-sized Funk Rawk closer that also features some especially jazzy runs out of Gibbons and an absolutely fire performance from Nilles whose voice work is epic, piano playing is positively on point and trumpet tooting (Yes, Nilles can check off “Bad ass Brass player” to the musical palette as well) tantalizes the earholes in a new way before the final farewell.
Ripple Effect arrives on May 30th ahead of oh so many opportunities to see the band live! To pre-save the new EP, head here and then head here for a collection of all other Ruby Grove-related links including where to see them next and more!