The amiable Laura Ryder released her new single, ‘Storm in a Cup,’ last Friday alongside her band, Laura Ryder Ampersand. The song is a whirlwind of alternative pop with a blues sentimentality and symphonious edge, heard in the flurry of orchestral instruments, airy backing vocals, and washes of percussion dispersed throughout the song. In its mix of genres, this single has clear links to Ryder’s last release, Vestigial; however, ‘Storm in a Cup’ produces a different atmosphere to her previous album.
‘Storm in a Cup’ establishes a serious, mature side of Ryder’s narrative and compositional voice, whilst conjuring the same strength of evocative imagery as that of Vestigial. Lines such as “I am a fiery sun... but I'm too close for anything to grow” and “I am Penicillium mould, I reside where I'm not meant to be” are thought-provoking and visceral. The song narrates the inner turmoil of a conflicted person who is caught between being true to themselves and making someone else happy, and who perhaps feels they are losing some of their authentic self by giving so much away. In the chorus, the character aptly investigates the question “who am I?” which relates very much to the overall theme of the single.
It begins as a quiet reflection, with airy, light vocals of an inquisitive nature where Laura certainly wears her influences on her sleeve. Her love of Regina Spektor is immediately recognisable in the arpeggiated piano accompanying her distinct vocals. The atmosphere and arrangement slowly build to a climactic eruption of sound, featuring numerous voices and instruments. The string section is particularly strong, echoing the thunderous metaphor of a storm on which the song is centred. The surging, flooded arrangement cleverly evokes the imagery of the lyrics and even with this multitude of intertwined melodies, no part ever oversteps another or causes the song to feel too crowded.
Ryder has undoubtedly matured in the time since the release of Vestigial, and ‘Storm in a Cup’ is her strongest composition thus far, marrying bright, ethereal vocals with the sincerity of her message. ‘Storm in a Cup’ can be streamed on Spotify here, and Laura Ryder Ampersand will release a video to go with the single next week.