Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Be A Man, they say, and the world is your oyster, others have claimed the role of the gender as being an excuse to run roughshod over the population, as if wearing the skin of a man gives you the reason, the right to determine sexual politics in the 21st Century. They also say that behind every great man is a great woman, however, as other enlightened members of the female brigade have shown, perhaps that should be inside the heart of a man, beats the perfect xx chromosome wanting to get out.
Images of Annie Lennox causing a stir as she reveals under the guise of various songs that she is the voice of the feminine reason, Marlene Dietrich resplendent in top hat and tails, the notion of male drag looking every inch the epitome of masculinity, all manner of art and societal expectations, dating even further back through time, past the cross-dressing in Shakespeare of Portia in The Merchant of Venice, the witty Rosalind in As You Like It and perhaps most famously of all, Twelfth Night’s Viola, all these women have subverted the supposed freedom of men and claimed their voice in the restrictive society of women.
Lauren Ray’s style is undeniable, a voice in its own right that is rich and vibrant, suggestive, it is alive and soft, but it also holds a secret in the single Be A Man, it holds a sense of strength that women can employ in large numbers, the ability of subtly, of compassion, of understanding innately that they are the reason for the greatness in society and the despair they feel when it goes wrong makes the pulse of the world less enjoyable, more upsetting.
The single is an attitude of greatness, the imploring of the world to be a man, but admit that should you want a job done then the crucial role in society should be held by a woman who can see the value and truth of what lays beneath a man’s skin. A captivating song, one that goes beyond the lines drawn by others.
Lauren Ray will be supporting Paul Carrack as part of his 2019 U.K. tour and will be coming to Liverpool on January 18th and 19th.
Ian D. Hall