On its launch Two Years Long, the new EP from Amy Rayner, cast its graceful melodies on the ears of a lucky few listeners at Perth Playhouse Cinema.
Three tracks represent this artist’s story of a relationship with it’s beginning (‘On Air’), middle (‘Perfect Mess’) and end (‘Out of Mind’).
A very personal tale unravels through a diverse fusion of everything from folk and pop to country and blues.
Rayner begins her journey with ‘On Air’, it’s a mixture of hope and optimisim, beautifully lamenting on acoustic guitar, it feels classic, it feels familiar.
Rayner carries the song powerfully, her voice slightly husky, but strong and there’s a sense of conviction and courage.
Easing into something a little more down tempo, the mood shifts; honesty and frustration shine through, and the juxtaposition of “perfect” and “mess” eloquently convey this part of her “fairytale”, while the music is all pentatonic and bluesy, in the throngs of disenchantment.
Taking things even slower, ‘Out of Mind’ ends our tale; it’s full of wise reflections, a knowingness that everything has an end.
The crescendo tells us she will be strong and that “it’s going to be fine;” a melancholic dance of loss and acceptance, Amy’s voice is entrancing.
Two Years Long is refreshingly familiar, but conveys such a vulnerability that makes you see Rayner as a unique musician.
Words: Rachel Cunningham
