Dressed in power suits on the album cover, as opposed to previously hiding behind silver and psychedelic blur, gives the immediate impression that Americans Nya Gazelle Brown and Sabrina Cunningham and their Brit bandmate Piya Malik are about to give lessons on Cut & Rewind, their third album as Say She She, on how to draw upon one’s own power to improve situations or communities. Two years ago on 2023’s Silver, the trio effectively used their operatic disco voices to address important and interesting political issues (abortion rights, gun safety, sexism) and this time they attempt to achieve a similar feat.
The title track ‘Cut & Rewind’ – which introduces a slanted new wave edge to their disco – provides advice on how to power through the cycle of hard work giving a reward and back to hard work again. “So hire the guy who’s gonna look you in the eye” is beneficial at maintaining respect in the workplace, “Tom’s cool but I’m nobody’s fool. Heartbreak is an everyday rule” prepares one to put principles above being too opportunistic and “Treat like a treasure money can’t buy. Back at it, attitude nice” encourages one to enjoy the journey.
The good start to Cut & Rewind continues with ‘Under The Sun’ – one of many dreamy soul songs on the new release – and ‘Disco Life’ in which Say She She are at their most quintessentially retro. The latter documents how a publicity-hungry baseball event (1979’s Disco Demolition Night) was the catalyst for the downfall of disco. However, the Brooklyn-based triad cleverly reuse baseball terms to help initiate the power they believe they have at spearheading the comeback of the scene: “We’re taking back the major league. A playing field where all are free / Throw a curveball, catch-a-ride. Ode to the rainbow of the night.” Like the usage of French and Panjabi on predecessor Silver, they add a little foreign language in Italian to provide more of a global passion: “Casta Diva, Viva La Ripresa!” (Long live the revival!). The Martha Reeves & The Vandellas-reminiscent ‘Under The Sun’ refers “power is a light source” because it juxtaposes the sunny setting of cities such as Los Angeles with the lingering metaphorical dark cloud above the heads of many of its inhabitants. It’s both general with residents dealing with “a mountain of debt” but also specific in its topic, as it alludes to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strikes with the lines “When one day it’s better and thresholds have been met. Future films develop. Rightful terms on set.”
Egyptian new wave ‘Shop Boy’ and Grace Jones-redolent funk ‘She Who Dares’ are Cut & Rewind’s most musically creative tracks and they present power at opposite ends of the seriousness spectrum. The latter paints a dystopian future – that is introduced by Sabrina Cunningham’s megaphonic voice – where “over six hundred thousand women will be imprisoned / charged with the following: speaking out of turn…”. The song artfully switches back and forth from totalitarian speech enforcing the sexist regime (in the brainwashed sounding spoken word segments) to Say She She singing about their empowering counterforce. Like with ‘Disco Life’, when the voices are flowing musically it is with the purpose to break down a discriminative barrier. ‘Shop Boy’s light hearted bounce adds a different angle on utilising power but one just as imaginative. Rather than a gloomy environment, it takes place in a fun shopping mall that sells men. Thus giving Say She She’s characters the power to window shop for the right companion before purchasing. The double meaning of check out is amusing. One criticism of Say She She is that they can sometimes repeat lyrics a bit too much within a song (‘Little Kisses’ from this album and ‘Astral Plane’ on the previous record as examples) but the repetition works great on ‘Shop Boy’, because it almost sounds like a wacky daytime TV advert.
While some songs stand out, Say She She’s third album Cut & Rewind lacks consistent lyrical and musical depth within its 12 track length. The strong concept of power is on occasion replaced by general songs about love (‘Chapters’, ‘Little Kisses, Do All Things For Love’) and the music lulls in excitement. Having said that, the nostalgic shimmering production remains throughout and their power at taking us away from our work lives and modern music tropes is something they will always possess.
