Album review: Rhye - Woman

Since shuffling into the spotlight last year with the immaculate “The Fall”, Rhye have been shrouded in a cloak of self-made mystery. Much of the mystique revolved around Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal’s brittle-boned soul and softened sexual narratives, but Milosh’s effeminate purr seemed to stoke its own ‘he or she?’ intrigue.

 Woman, the duo’s debut longplayer, attempts to sustain this cryptic - almost esoteric - allure. Bathed in smooth velvety melodies, it’s a compelling and comfortable record; one that’s completely at ease slipping between “3 Days”’s easy handed glide and the hypnotic 70s disco of “Hunger”.

 Admittedly, it can get a little lounge-roomy at times; the title track is a featherweight wooze of Moon Safari proportions and “One of Those Summer Days” is equally translucent of tune. Yet such moments of disinterest quickly disappear, faded out by “Major Minor Love”'s sensuous lament and the string-soaked elegance of “Verse”.

 Woman may struggle for consistency over the course of 35 minutes, but it’s a bewitching enough listen to justify the buzz that follows its creators. Mystery solved.

First published in the print edition of Under the Radar