Hurray For The Riff Raff make their long-awaited return in the form of their new twelve track record, The Navigator. The album in itself is a beautifully written piece of art and acts as a political concept album, inspired by vocalist and frontwoman, Alynda Segarra’s own journey from the South Bronx to the downtown punk scene and beyond, in search of her identity.
From the offset, we are introduced with ‘Entrance’ and are immediately introduced with the reoccurring persona of ‘The Navigator’, the force which drives the entirety of the album and embodies the never-ending desire for change. The track offers a brilliant introduction to Alynda’s soft spoken, darkened voice and the accompaniment of almost barbershop harmonies and atmospheric instrumentation make for an instantly encapsulating start to the record.
The imagery created throughout is incredibly cinematic and tells the story of a wandering soul at a crossroads between finding its identity whilst simultaneously being held back on its ancestral weight. The first few numbers such as ‘Living In The City’ and ‘Hungry Ghost’, lay the foundations for the concept and cleverly intertwine the moving story with Hurray For The Riff Raff’s signature Latin rhythms and versatile vocal patterns. Alynda’s ability to softly speak lyrics in such a way that they tear through the soul is paralleled with her equally impressive ability to belt out stronger notes when required, when combined, these two forces create a truly impressive listen.
There is a sizable level of variance within The Navigator and whilst many tracks do contain the signature rocky, Latin vibes that Hurray fans have come to love, further experimentation does become evermore apparent. Track like ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl’ feature the aspects that all of those familiar with Hurray’s sound will instantly recognise, yet then inflict further complexities such as added electronica, taking the track on an unexpected voyage into the almost tropical realm. Other numbers such as ‘Fourteen Floors’ portray an entirely different style altogether, painting not only some of the most stunning imagery on the record, but making brilliant usage of piano keys and sampling in a way which really makes the track stand out.
An awful lot of hurt can be found behind this album. Almost all of the tracks, whilst making for a soothing listen musically, cut deep emotionally and act as a plea for change. The clearest example of this has to be ‘Pa’lante’, the penultimate number and possibly the highlight of the record. The piece starts as a minimalistic, calming track but soon transitions into a cataclysmic choir which preaches for change. An inserted excerpt from Pedro Pietri’s Puerto Rican Obituary, makes for an intriguing change of pace during the middle of the track but, as Alynda’s vocals return, they come back hard. The repeated ending of each line with the now iconic “Pa’lante”, Spanish slang for "go ahead" or "go for it,” makes this track stunningly moving and really does leave a lasting impression for you to simply “Go For It”, whatever it may be in your own personal contexts.
Overall, The Navigator tells a truly compelling story, and a brilliant call to arms against the establishment. Hurray For The Riff Raff have done a fantastic job in not only beautifully portraying their story, but have clearly used their talents in such a way that will inspire many to follow their dreams and simply “Go for it.” Hurray For The Riff Raff have taken on a truly admirable challenge with this record and it’s is executed with an incredible amount of precision and demonstrates an incredibly high caliber of music and songwriting alike.
Ben Walker
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