As soon as we catch sight of a new Raleigh Ritchie tune, our expectations are immediately elevated, simply because the UK artist’s ability to tantalize in both the vocal and production fields. About four months since we were treated with “Birthday Girl”, Raleigh has certainly had a fruitful spell preparing pristine work, and his uniquely soul-embedded R&B flavor is portrayed idyllically on his latest, Little Simz-assisted piece, “Cuckoo”. From the frisky title, to the highly piquant flavor of the piece, the collaboration couldn’t have worked better in the sonic sense, and with what zestful production Jason Ponce provided on the effort, the result is certainly worth a ton of attention. To be sure, cymbal-heavy, choir-echoed settings usher in the track, and RR is soon able to enter in signature fashion, sanguinely delivering fervent notions, and making way for a chanting chorus that catches on almost instantly. Little Simz makes her appearance later on, and couldn’t be more timely, as her pacey flow and assertive lyricism propels the piece just a yard further beyond what you'd expect. With an EP not too far down the line, “Cuckoo” will more than satisfy our craving for Raleigh’s work (at least, for the time being). Check the track out below.
Raleigh Ritchie