Ramona by Grace Cummings
It’s hard to know what Grace Cummings was aiming for with Ramona—was this supposed to be a brooding, introspective folk masterpiece? Or an overproduced theatre production disguised as a folk album? Whatever the intent, the result is a confusing mishmash of bombastic arrangements and Cummings’ famously over-the-top vocal delivery that feels like it’s constantly teetering on the edge of melodrama.
The album starts with promise, but quickly spirals into a disjointed collection of tracks that sound like they were recorded in different rooms—or possibly different dimensions. Producer Jonathan Wilson assembled an impressive roster of musicians, yet it seems no one told them they were supposed to be working with Cummings, not against her. The strings and brass, while grand, often feel slapped on rather than integrated, especially on tracks like “Something Going ’Round” and the title track “Ramona.” At times, the production gives off a synthetic, almost cartoonish feel, as if MIDI horns were trying to crash a serious blues party.
Lyrically, the album attempts to grapple with weighty themes like grief and existential dread, but too often, it devolves into a muddled stream of cryptic metaphors and overwrought declarations. “I’m Getting Married to the War” might be an interesting concept, but the track itself meanders before collapsing into a psychedelic swirl that doesn’t quite know how to end. Similarly, “Work Today (And Tomorrow)” dangles an intriguing moment of self-reflection, only to fizzle out into syrupy strings with no clear direction.
Perhaps the biggest flaw of Ramona is how disjointed it feels. The songs are ambitious but lack cohesion, like they’re part of separate stories hastily glued together. Even the more intimate moments, such as the piano-led “Without You,” feel strangely detached—Cummings’ voice, with all its emotional heft, doesn’t quite meld with the instruments, leaving everything feeling oddly hollow.
Grace Cummings has undeniable vocal power, but on Ramona, she sounds like she’s at war with the very music meant to support her. The album is a misfire of grand ideas buried under too many layers of mismatched sound. If you like your folk music dressed up in castanets, screeching eagles, and synthetic strings, then this might be for you. For the rest of us, it’s more bewildering than beguiling.
