

But while his talents are big, his ambitions are bigger, and he often oversteps his means, trying desperately to convey something beyond his grasp. Musically, “All We Need” is a tour de force, as Raury demonstrates an impressive knack for varied songwriting while maintaining a distinct and enjoyable sound. The 19-year-old’s debut studio album, “All We Need,” is a tangle of folk, hip-hop, R&B and electronic influences, and he rarely records a track without crossing some sort of sonic boundary. Raury is the Atlanta music scene’s self-declared indigo child, an adept vocalist and songwriter with sweeping messages of peace, love and armageddon delivered in saccharine lyrics and warm acoustic productions. It does not store any personal data.Raury performing with his signature sunhat. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These are some relatively minor complaints in the grand scheme of the album, though as a first full-length effort, All We Need is definitely top notch, providing a solid stepping stone for Raury to move forward from. All We Need has all the markers of a success, rarely failing to engage or entertain over its fourteen tracks, and is only hindered by some questionable choices when it comes to ending songs while the intermission style makes sense in the context of the album, the songs that feature them could often use more closure than they receive. With some fine tuning, Raury’s concept could be turned into a truly amazing album. Devil’s Whisper is the only song in this category to make good use of a sudden end, closing in a flurry of rapping and ominous near-tribal beats and finishing on a disconcerting note that fits the song’s darker themes and vibe. Trap Tears is one of a few songs that ends more abruptly than it should, closing on an intermission-style section rather than giving the song proper closure this is something that also occurs on Friends and Peace Prevail. If there’s any issue to be found on All We Need, it’s that these ideas often end all too soon, rather than expanding on their beginnings. Near the album’s end point, Trap Tears mixes a Spanish-influenced guitar line with more 808 beats before evolving into a straight trap song, offering one of the album’s strongest hip hop moments even as it retains plenty of acoustic elements.

Later on the track Forbidden Knowledge, a looping distorted choir of vocals supports Raury as he raps over a sparse beat and accompanying guitar, making for a less flashy track but one that instead shows off his rapping skills.ĬPU pairs 808 beats and an endearing piano line with Raury’s own distorted vocals, offering a perfect mix of the two influences despite lacking any rapping from Raury.
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As the title track All We Need bypasses its grating synthetic intro, it evolves into an appealing acoustic jam, surrounding the initially lone guitar with layered vocals from Raury, which are piled top of each other to fill every little corner of the track eventually some bass is added, and it eventually transforms once more into an arrangement full of violins and trumpet it all feels exceptionally seamless. The album’s strongest point is the versatility it finds with its niche sound. It’s an ambitious piece of work, and just barely falls short of getting it all completely right. Mixing rap and hip-hop elements with a sparse folk rock sound, All We Need feels like a fresh piece of work, hovering equally between the two extremes that it draws influences from. At just 19 years of age, Raury is already carving out a niche of his own.
