The trouble is with music this packed with intensity, drama and sheer overwhelming impact is that it's hard to know where to start.
I'd been looking forward to new music from Greysha for almost a year ('Gold Glaze' was her last, in October 2021), eagerly anticipating the next phase to this artist's development. So I was very excited when 'Stormy Weather' hit the streaming services at the end of last week. But then, the dilemma: this is music I have to share, evoking feelings I must put into words ... and yet, what words? I've thought about this for a while, and now I'll have a go ...
Greysha wrote this song when she was 17, in her own words, "sat by my window on the rainiest day with my acoustic guitar. I had just broken up with my boyfriend and I knew I needed to write." So this is one which has been waiting on the shelf for a while now, and one which Greysha has allowed time to rest, mature and emerge when the time is right. That time is now, as the weather outside begins to cool, winds rise, and evenings darken.
Opening with rain and storm sounds over dark guitar, the scene is set straight away. There's a deceptively simple rhythm set by an electric guitar before the vocals begin melodically, in a minor key, and then seamlessly evolve into a rapid-fire section. This part is a touch obscure, but darkly engaging and absolutely fascinating.
Don't you talk to my black cat
Cuz it'll eat your face
I fall into cabinets, and bleed out lemonade.
Some nights I sit in my room and have a chat with God -
a pretty face is a new liquor, I like fresh and I like bitter.
What struck me about the whole track, having listening avidly to all of Greysha's previous work, is the way her poetic, edgy-yet-humorous lyricism go hand in hand with her very special vocal delivery. Here, more than on any previous release, she really explores the lower ranges of her voice to great effect. She sings, purrs and almost growls at times, riding a hard-hitting line between soothing and dangerous. That is, until the chorus strikes and she soars high, then higher ... more on that in a moment though.
The production is fabulous, thanks in part to Dan Bradley's very intelligent input; it's richly and broadly layered with new elements to discover each time you listen. I happen to know that one reason this release took so long to appear was the almost fanatical attention to detail which has been applied by Greysha and Dan, striving to getting things just right - and it shows.
Greysha explains that her writing process went from a point where she had her heart in her hands, dealing with the break-up pain, to one where she made the conscious decision to turn that pain "into something more powerful and vengeful." The song became "a story of power, revenge with a witchy and other-worldly feel". Yes, it really did - she has translated that feeling and that emotional journey absolutely brilliantly into music of the highest calibre.
Perhaps the best example of this translation and the awesome production approach is found at the centre of 'Stormy Weather' where you'll find a hugely satisfying drop going into the chorus. There's a slight lift away from the verse, followed by a rapid crescendo and then a sense of absolutely everything being let loose, the biggest thundercloud bursting, sweeping you over and away in a deluge of sound.
The second time the chorus comes around, after another engaging verse and a brilliant bridge which features the genius lyric "I am the dark storm in your apartment, smoky windows, calico clothes") is even more thrilling: you'll want to raise your arms and close your eyes in total submission to the breaking storm.
Stormy Weather is here, and I welcome it.
Update: Since publishing the first version of this post, Greysha has released an awesome video. It is absolutely captivating, and captures the deep essence of the song. You really have to see this:
Make sure to check out Greysha's website and of course follow @greyshamusic on Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Tik Tok ...