Rae Morris at ICA

After a delay in starting, while the ICA becomes a heated space abuzz with conversation, Rae Morris finally emerges.

The deep boom of an elongated synth note introduces the singer from Blackpool, her back to the stage. Push Me to My Limit, taken from her forthcoming album, is a slight change from her debut Unguarded, with electronic drum beats making up the foundation of the song. New single Reborn is packed with eclectic beats, Morris’s voice rising high above the drums, the strobe lights emphasising the dance element, switching on and off in time to the beat. Tropical sounding Do you Even Know? matches the ultra heat of the ICA, but she doesn’t let it affect her performance; striding and twirling across the stage she has the friendliest of demeanours, her ecstatic smile contagious. Athletico is another track filled with joyous emotion, proving the new artistic route the artist is taking definitely works in her favour. Morne Fortune has a killer bass, reverberating over the entire body, her voice as smooth as Irish singer Enya’s. One of the highlights of the incredibly beautiful performance tonight is the stripped-back alternative version of For You, one of the first songs Morris wrote. She sings solo, whilst playing the piano, the whoops in the tune especially charming, similar to Irish folk music. The track demonstrates Morris’s incredibly strong vocals, the melody pervaded with nostalgia and hope, and a feeling of travelling across distant green valleys.

While Wait for the Rain starts with a crash of thunder, progressing into a breezy low-tempo pop song, Lower the Tone is another addictive new dance track from the new album, culminating in a rave, the strobe lights flashing with the electronic beats. 

Morris is eloquent in her lyricism, and bursting with unadulterated joy, clearly enjoying performing to the crowd. In keeping with the folk dance quality of her debut, she has carried on producing delectable electronic numbers that makes one only wish her preview set was longer.

Selina Begum
Photos: Erol Birsen

For further information and future events visit the Rae Morris website here.

Watch the video for Reborn here: