Shadow Work is the latest EP from Aruba Red. Five songs that soulfully explore a period of healing after experiencing trauma, that itself opened a lifetime of unresolved issues. This is a soul being laid bare in a way that caresses the heart, soothes the brow and ultimately uplifts. Aruba Red has crafted a sensual late night alt-soul soundtrack of reflection.
Can music itself heal, or is it the act of creating it where the healing lies? Judging by this EP there is healing at every level. There is a journey implicit in the song titles; Blue, Release Me, Change, Trust, and Butterfly. The listener is taken on the journey with Aruba as a companion, at no point does it feel voyeuristic. However you could be completely numb to any deeper meaning and just enjoy the songcraft on show.
In the second song, Release Me, the grim realities of what she went through are laid bare. Yet this is not just a litany of pain, you can hear the catharsis in Aruba’s vocals throughout. One does wonder whether the act of creating the songs is the release. Does the act of performing them lay ghosts to rest, or does it take the performer back to those dark times? I guess if they are written at a place in time of strength and overcoming, then the very act of giving them life allows Aruba to integrate the emotions and grief, and become that butterfly.
Aruba Red has quite a back story, check out her Wikipedia entry
The Ep is released on 06/03/20 get it digitally from here
Iain Hazlewood
