Remy Turi has ninety monthly listeners on Spotify. I do not know why it is this low. She has a gifted voice, a talent for composition and can write good lyrics. I came across her latest EP “slow burn”, which she released in June last year, and was enthralled by it.
The EP is very consistent, and the hyper-thematic feel works very well.
Something or nothing stands out for being more interesting compositionally and more upbeat. The contrast between the chorus and the verses is so powerful (I’m impressed that both are interesting, different and good), and it helps make the song more than just the sum of its parts.
“we could we could be golden and silver and bronze”
That’s the first line of the chorus. It is amazing. Remy’s voice sounds immaculate, and her conviction carries across to the listener brilliantly. She sings with desperation for the “we” and how perfect it would be. Not because of anything that could happen, but instead an intrinsic perfection. First, second, nothing, or everything: it doesn’t matter.
“we could be we could be something or nothing at all”
The switch to “or” rather than “and” is interesting here. It adds to the desperation, but there is something more to it, which I cannot seem to put my finger on it. There is almost a double entendre here too. It both means that their situation doesn’t matter, as long as they are together, Remy will be happy, and that if they are not together, it would be a disaster.
“I could I could be reckless or so sensible,
“I could be something, or I could be nothing”
The final two lines add to the desperation and reinforce the idea of how amazing they would be together. Lyrically, they add very little, but they help to carry the power of the chorus and are a positive addition, not a detriment. It would have been nice to see something more substantial here, but it doesn’t matter, as the chorus is incredible.
Changing the final line to “We could be something, or we would be nothing” could help with this. The change is slight, but it keeps the powerful plosives and makes the line a little more interesting. It’s almost a threat
“something or nothing” is a brilliant song. Almost built around the chorus, the comparison to Odysseus’s house, which he built around his bed, seems fair: distinct, special, and the finest you can imagine. Remy blends it into the rest of her song perfectly too. It’s hard to fault.
Based on this, Remy Turi should go somewhere. She is talented in every way needed to be successful, a touch of luck is all that’s left, but with the quality here, she might make her own.
Will's Music Reviews 