Album review: ‘Forever’ by Raveen

Seven years since their last full length release, Montreal-based band Raveen recently put out their second album, Forever. The vocals were well-developed and held a different tone per song. They ranged from soothing, to questioning, and then anguish. Some themes explored in this album were aging, heartbreak, and loss.

“David,” was a song that sparked curiosity in me. It was not heavy nor metallic. Lead singer Eric Seguin’s soft vocals blew me away by how refreshing it sounded. However, it was hard to understand the lyrics due to their light vocals. Their feathery sound blended with an artistic electronic setting. A drum was set off in the middle of the song, resembling a bird taking off slowly.

“Chipping Away,” however, was different from “David.” The intro sounds like raindrops falling one by one but in different directions. The ending is more memorable than “David,” and reminds me of “Ocean Eyes,” by Billie Eilish. Seguin is experiencing inner turmoil and is asking for forgiveness (“Chipping away, it’s not the same”). The violin in the background gives the song an edge and an overall soulful sound. The violin adage makes this song my favourite.

“She’s Great and All,” has an R&B rhythm. Though my love lies in bittersweet and edgy music, this song has memorable qualities. There was no inclusion of a violin, but the edge relied heavily on the drums and guitar. It tugged my heart. However, it did not move me like “Chipping Away.”

Forever is an album worth listening to once in a while. The title of each song was a well-rounded representation of its lyrics. Overall, the musicality of the album was more interesting than its lyrics. The latter was hard to hear because of how low the vocals were. Additionally, Seguin’s voice made each song worthwhile to listen to, along with the choice of instruments for each song.