Ray Alder – II Review

Heavier and more progressive than 2019’s What the Water Wants, the Fates Warning singer’s sophomore effort, II, retains the former’s ethereal feel but hits some incredible highs that were perhaps lacking on that earlier effort and ultimately make this one of the year’s strongest and most interesting releases.

Ray Alder’s What the Water Wants, to its credit, felt less like a showcase for individualized talent and more like a concerted, cohesive album. After over thirty years with Fates Warning, it was hardly surprising that Alder wanted to step outside that circle to produce something that felt more personalized. But What the Water Wants, though certainly personalized, also felt strangely subdued. Almost passively so. The back-to-back melancholy of openers “Lost” and “Crown of Thorns” established a rather firm tone and buried some of the brighter spots like “Some Days” and “Wait.” Alder was very clearly expressing the weight of what was on his mind at the time. But the packaging, as it were, made that expression less accessible. Not that What the Water Wants didn’t eventually prove itself to be a rather fantastic album—it simply took more time than anticipated to wriggle itself into that rightful position.

II is a fitting follow-up to and yet decidedly something quite a bit more than What the Water Wants. Opener “This Hollow Shell,” for one, may be as melancholic as anything on Alder’s solo debut, but it’s also hookier, more layered, and more immediately impactful. The killer solo at the four-minute mark doesn’t hurt, either. Again, as thematically dark as its predecessor. Not quite as one-note, however. “Keep Wandering” manages a similar balance, solo included.

Most surprisingly, II is playful in ways that What the Water Wants never quite even flirted with. The exceptionally riffy and adventurous “My Oblivion” and “Waiting for Some Sun,” for example. The slight bounce of “Silence the Enemy” and “Those Words I Bled.” The noodly hooks in “Passengers.” There’s a spirit to, and enough layering done with, the songs here that even those averse to some of the more modern elements will find plenty to like. Where the melancholy was once reflective but flat, it now feels inspired and multidimensional.

The beauty in II is that it achieves what Alder and co. seemingly sought in What the Water Wants. Alder’s voice will always have that uniquely introspective, worldly vibe. Most will buy what he’s selling because he sells it with such effortless conviction. The difference here is that there’s a driving melody, a force. There’s a sense of adventure. Hooks. Another addition to the win column for Alder after last year’s excellent A-Z release.