Album Review: Rhys Lewis - 'Corner of The Sky'
Rhys Lewis is back with a new album that will fill all hearts with the warmth and comfort of spring.
Having released his debut album only a couple of years ago, Rhys Lewis has quickly become one of the biggest emerging artists in the UK. From featuring on ITV’s hit Love Island to touring with Eric Nam, he has gained a wealth of experience which is palpable on his second album, beautifully titled ‘Corner of the Sky’. Much like his debut release in 2020, a great deal of this album has the charm and nostalgia of being recorded on analogue tape, a confine which Lewisexplains forces him to really work hard as an artist to ensure that every take is just right. Written as an escape from the turbulence of daily life, Lewis explained that ‘the corner of the sky’ from which the album takes its name is a symbol of the safe musical space he made for himself where the anxieties of the everyday could be drowned out. An amalgamation of everything he has endured these last years, the album offers the heartwarming message of owning your own world and knowing what you need from it.
The album opens with a very short instrumental introduction, setting the scene for what is to come. We are transported to Lewis’ safe and happy place and in turn are given the elated sensation of being above the clouds where the noise of the world below cannot be heard. Its sounds are reminiscent of spring and something new emerging; strings that swell against a fluttery piano motif, the track encapsulates the sense of wonder you should have going into the album.
Immediately, the album springs into life with ‘Alone’. Unsuspecting listeners are taken aback by the immediacy and urgency of Lewis’ vocals as he opens with the line
‘Do you ever feel like running away, leaving your life behind and starting again?’
Lyrically, it’s the perfect place to start for the album. A pointed question, it echoes the unfinished and uncertain ending of the opening instrumental and gives the impression that we are about to be taken on an existential rollercoaster. Lewis’ smooth tone contrasts fantastically with the staccato and rigid instrumentation in the background, further conveying the sense of uneasiness, uncertainty and wonder. The track feels innately fluid and mobile, something which becomes more clear as the rhythm section and beats come in with the chorus. The title line ‘I feel like being alone’ pushes the track forwards and its melody soars over harmony lines indicating just how isolated Lewis feels. He explained that whilst writing the track, he felt claustrophobic and trapped by what was going on around him. Full of questions about life and motivations, the track captures the headspace Lewis found himself in before he was able to find and run away to his haven in the corner of the sky. The lyrics explore the anxiety of seeing the achievements of those around you and the feeling of being ‘too late’ to the party of life, helping the listener to gain a starting point for the journey the album will take us on.
Up next is ‘Love in the Modern Age’. When talking about the motivations behind the track, Lewisexplained that he wanted to explore the ever changing way we see and navigate relationships. He articulated that ‘nowadays it’s just swiping through photos but it used to be so much simpler’ , pointing to the solitary and far-removed nature of apps like Tinder and Hinge which over the course of the pandemic boomed in popularity.
‘She didn’t look like her photos and I didn’t look like mine; we’re two strangers sitting there wondering why we do this to ourselves. It doesn’t feel that good, it doesn't feel like it should. Have we lost the art of it all?’
Talking about the bizarre and pointless way we feel the need to be seen a certain way by our potential romantic partners, Lewis’ with honesty and reference to his own shortcomings advocates for a return to how things used to be. With a sense of longing for the ‘good-old-days’, Lewis’ sentimentality pays tribute to how love and in turn music looked in the past when we were unafraid to be our authentic selves.
The fourth track, ‘Midnight’ opens with a stunning choral line delivered a cappella. Echoey, punchy and bright, it’s a stunning contrast to what we have listened to so far. All about escapism and his desire to get out of the rut and back on stage, Lewis explained his thought process behind this song:
‘The thought of playing live to a room full of people genuinely gave me goosebumps. I was keen to have a track with that kind of energy, something that would feel incredible to sing with a crowd. This is the song that I wanted to play live for the first time in a sweaty venue, with a sweaty band, just like old times’
The track opening with just voices then is perfect as it encompasses the sense of togetherness and community you get at a live show which Lewis is yearning for. The lyrics of this track, particularly in the chorus, have a youthful and optimistic charisma which in comparison to the previous songs embody a sense of hope and excitement for the future.
‘And why don't we dance up in the stars like the darkness doesn't exist? Over the curve of the Earth, oh, I wanna live like it's the first and the last time we get to set our hearts on fire. Meet me in the midnight’
The music video for this track is just as much if not more fun than the song itself as it follows the adventures of a group of people who become superheroes. The direction and imagery of the video works brilliantly with the nostalgic 80s vibe of the track and further conveys Lewis’ drive towards togetherness. It makes sense that this was one of the first singles released in anticipation for the album as the track marks a change in pace and energy for Lewis; rather than the existential anxiety and the tongue in cheek pessimism and nonchalance towards life exhibited before, now there is a definitive desire to go onwards and upwards.
‘Symmetrical’ is a fun track because of the way in which its instrumentation reflects the title. From the opening bars you hear synths and vocals that have a regimented clarity to them. Even in instances of syncopation, the track constantly feels very self-assured and puts the listener at ease. The instrumentals in the verses remain constant; a rhythmic heartbeat pushing the melody forwards. There is a lot of repetition, particularly of the harmonic lyric ‘Symmetrical’ and makes the song feel incredibly polished and neat but still very heartfelt. Sticking to basic instrumentals, it is followed by ‘Simple’ which in a similar way is characterised by its melody and accompaniment which is never too complicated and gets Lewis’ point across with pinpoint clarity. Though the grandiose and cinematic feel of some of the other tracks on the album show off Lewis’ ability to throw everything at a song, these two highlight just how much you can convey with the fundamentals.
Released in November, ‘The Middle’ was one of audiences’ first tastes of the new album and even now in January once it has had time to settle and make its presence known, the impact from this track is as potent as it was last year. A very emotional listen, the track opens with immediate vulnerability as Lewis sings with only a piano accompaniment. The first line delivers a huge pang to the heartstrings and suddenly you are reminded just how good Lewis is at making you feel his music.
‘I still message on your birthday-I don’t think you remember mine. It seems like time didn’t quite heal us in the same way cause I’m a mess and you’re doing fine.’
Lewis’ tone is painfully raw and exposed throughout the track, perhaps more noticeably so because of how upbeat the last few tracks have been. The song sounds as though it has been recorded in a big empty room; its echoey quality embodying the vastness of Lewis’ isolation and emotion. As the melody line soars into beautifully resonant high notes, you cannot help but take a moment to notice just how accomplished Lewis is as a singer. His ability to navigate such a melodically difficult track with such ease and such genuine emotion is staggering and goes to show just how talented he really is. A real standout moment on the album, this track is nothing short of stunning.
After bringing the emotions down, ‘To Be Alive’ returns listeners to a chirpy happy state. The opening chords are wonderfully reminiscent of Mumm-Ra’s hit ‘She’s got you High’ and this track certainly feels like an elevation back to the happy place in the sky. Lewis’ tone has a softness to it; the vocals are quieter and sound further away, encouraging you to listen closely to what he is saying. The lyrics run into one another with no break from line to line and give the song movement-if you don’t pay attention the words will slip between your fingers. It is a brilliant touch that the drum section comes in on the line ‘I tell myself to run’, a reflection perhaps on the fluidity and running along of the lyrics and instrumentals. The track represents the last of the escape space as now, more than halfway through the album we need to come back to earth and reality.
Not quite done yet with the mellow and melancholy, Lewis takes us back inwards and in our feelings with a duo of emotional tracks back to back before his big finishing number. ‘Yesterday's Rain’ continues the synth soundscape but is far softer. The beginning of the reflective arc of the album, Lewis talks about ‘making peace with the sky’ after understanding that while it has brought him warmth and escape, it also inevitably will bring rain down on him and his heart. He explains that he feels empowered and stronger in knowing that he can come back and while the melody and lyrics have a wistfulness to them, at their core they express a sense of hope. Second of our two homebound songs is the fantastically titled ‘Happy Fucking Birthday’, a wonderfully simple track where Lewis sings softly and earnestly against a plain piano. The narrative of the track is purposely ambiguous but you get the impression that he is talking to himself. A call to action, the song is Lewis’ message to himself to pick himself up and take a step towards being happy again. Some might read the track as purely self-deprecating and a ‘woe-is-me’ story but in a similar way to ‘Yesterdays Rain’ there is a hopefulness behind the track’s frank lyrics. Lewis is being realistic here and understands that tough love is what he needs to move forwards.
‘The Centre of the Universe’ is a very sweet and unassuming love song; after spending his days in the clouds Lewis is coming back to earth to the person he loves because he has come to recognise that they can offer him the same escapism and warmth he so needed at the beginning of the album. This is captured stunningly in the chorus where the synth line echoes those earlier in the album where you had the feeling you were floating above the anxieties and stress of the world. Lewis’ tone gives the sense that the track exists in a pastel universe and has an airiness to it that sounds like spring. It is wonderfully contrasted by the penultimate track, ‘21st Century Life’ which opens with strings that have come out of an old black and white movie. It's a fun nod back to the earlier track ‘Love in the Modern Age’ as it again blends together the idea of the old and the new in life, relationships and music. The album closes with the title track ‘Corner of the Sky’ and it is clear with this song that the Lewis we are hearing is not the same as the one we first met. He himself admits in the lyrics that something has changed but whilst the idea of things not being as they were scared him in the past, he now is at peace with it. He points to the change in his attitude being down to the ‘you’ in the track; however over the course of the album it's clear he has been on his own journey of self discovery and his ability to reconcile with the world around him is something he has learnt on the way.
The album seeks out to explore how our relationships with music are increasingly being shaped by what’s going on in the world. In an environment where we constantly have uncertainties and unanswered questions, Lewis explains that music has become the guiding destination for helping him to work through the unprecedented. Full of warmth, sweetness and written in a way that tells a whole story, this release is brilliant for this time of year and will no doubt continue to get better as the days become longer and our own sunny corner of the sky bares its head. With excitement to go on tour and share his new music, the only way is up for Lewis.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
