RORY: Reminiscing over the rotten years
There’s something so terrifyingly dark yet deeply human about Cherry Rype’s Rory. Each song feels like you’re peeling back layers of flesh, gnawing at the heart and soul of Cherry Rype, who lays idle to the savagery of it all.
‘Take off my dress’ and ‘Ultra super party girl’ come as the appetiser. Gorgeous sullen tracks that echo the Sydney artist’s lingering feeling of fatigue. Death, grief, addiction, love, self esteem and loss of innocence all run clear throughout this project. Themes that cause us to become weary and, in-turn, take a toll on our physical bodies. These are the things we often dismiss, since these are concepts that seem so abstract, never feel close enough to interrupt our daily lives.
But here you feel it, as you hear the things you can’t escape, ringing loud in your ears, enough to leave you glassy-eyed. All of this is drip fed through Cherry’s signature, ethereal vocals, making Rory feel more like a warm hug from a friend who’s lived a million lives, most of them sad. ‘Strawberry fields’ and ‘Limerence’ are welcome reprieves at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. One is a soft, child-like innocence in a dream state, unaware. The other will make you feel like you’re on the best high at the club – ignoring the world.
Dedicated to someone special who has passed on, hopefully this is a record that reaches them, wherever they may be. A reconciliation of whatever the breadth between life and death may be, leaving nothing but clarity in the wake of chaos.
Words by Tiana Severino-Fidow