Album Review: Subduing the Silence from Ruiqi Wang (王睿琪)

Album:  Subduing the Silence
Artist:  Ruiqi Wang (王睿琪)
Label:  Orchard of Pomegranates
Website:  https://www.ruiqiwangsings.com/

The debut recording Subduing the Silence from vocalist Ruiqi Wang (王睿琪) fuses ruminating vocals with stride piano, chamber music serenades, and traditional Chinese spirituals.  Wang's delivery is expressive, articulate and introspective as she channels a calm current among the sparse instrumental layers.  Her songs are interspersed with short instrumental interludes, indulging in freeform extemporization while Wang steers the recording into dream-like ambiences, helmed by thought-evoking lyrics and her sensual voicing.

Accompanied by Stephanie Urquhart on piano, Summer Kodama on bass, Mili Hong on drums, and members of the Craft Ensemble including Colleen Brannen on violin, Amy Sims on violin, Amelia Hollander Ames on viola, and Velleda Miragias on cello, Wang bridges the ethereal plane with the human soul.  The chanting voicing in her timbres are alluring, putting the listener at peace in tracks like "香冷金猊（一） | Xiang Leng Jin Ni #1" and "A Letter to L" as billowing drumbeats burrow in the backdrop.

The winding strings coursing through "Vibrating" and "Shimmering" offer scintillating interludes that bookend the freeform phrasing of the bass and keys along "A Descent of Lilies" while Wang showcases the breadth of her vocal elasticity.  Her vocals display an ethereal texture and flowy rhapsody along "香冷金猊（二） | Xiang Leng Jin Ni #2," and turns pensive and introspective through "Dream of the Pines" as the stride keys illuminate a moonlight glitter and the soft silhouette of the strings project a gentle cascade that sweeps across the melodic progressions.  

Conversely, the strings switch to an eerie tone along "Deep Stillness," creating a dark and morose atmosphere.  The squiggly lines of the strings oscillate between taut and relaxed along "香冷金猊（三）| Xiang Leng Jin Ni #3," as Wang's vocals resonate a ruminating tone across "Fragments for Subduing the Silence," cushioned by the strings producing a soft serenade.

Produced by Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, the recording has a spiritual vibe as Wang's vocals resonate a reflective tone.  The flowy movements of her vocals are expressive, articulating each lyric and emotion behind the words.  Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, Ruiqi Wang moved to Tio'tia:ke/Montréal in 2017, where she studied in McGill University's Jazz Performance program.  She immersed herself in her craft, honing her live performance skills at such venues as the Upstairs Jazz Club, Ursa, MAI/SON MTL, and Le Basement in Canada.  On the road to discovering her potential, Wang reached a milestone with her debut recording.

Musicians:
Ruiqi Wang - voice
Stephanie Urquhart - piano
Summer Kodama - bass
Mili Hong - drums

Craft Ensemble:
Colleen Brannen - violin
Amy Sims - violin
Amelia Hollander Ames - viola
Velleda Miragias - cello