ru saxon - Don't kill the messenger

Ru Saxon

Don't Kill The Messenger
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Ru Saxon brings a powerful, confident voice and eclectic music to her recent EP entitled Don’t Kill the Messenger. Let’s start with the music. It contains elements of R&B, afrobeat, soul, dance and jazz. Add to that her voice, which contains a surplus of emotion that sounds so smooth and you have a winning combination.  

The highlight on this EP is the first track called “Baby.” The song contains a lot of percussion and I’ll be damned if it’s not one of the most warm, inviting beats I have heard in quite some time. I swear I would have been content just listening to the music but that voice on top of the music is the cherry on top. Vocally, there is a hook but at times she goes off and it almost feels like she is improvising. It is such a soulful track and a gripping way to start the album.

“Puzzled” contains more dance elements and has less of a backyard rustic live feeling that the first one possessed.  It is a very good track with excellent drum programming but this one felt a bit more destined to be playing in the background of a classy lounge in the city. “Letter To My Ex” had a lot going on in the song. Although it felt like the single of the album it wasn’t the standout of the album for me. It was a good track but in a weird way it felt a bit too predictable compared to the first two tracks on the EP. “Bas House” is a club ready track that has an inspired vocal performance while “Introspective” closes the album with a laid-back R&B number that creates a lot of space for her vocals.

When Saxon is on she is on. The first track on this EP “Baby” may be one of the best songs I have heard this year. Don’t Kill the Messenger is worth your time just for that song alone. There are a number of other standout tracks on this EP that display the versatility of Ru Saxon. Highly Recommended

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