Ravyn Lenae review – art-school dreamer at ease with her own melancholy

<p><strong>Albert Hall, Manchester</strong><br>The Chicago musician’s fans are delighted by her alt-R&amp;B, but for all the adventurous new songs tonight’s show does not quite live up to its ambition</p><p>Chicago-born Ravyn Lenae has been a cult darling of alt-R&amp;B since the mid-2010s, an art-school dreamer whose whimsical, pop-tinged sound first drew notice when indie-slacker wunderkind Steve Lacy produced her Crush EP back in 2018. Tonight in Manchester, her kooky on-stage persona is mirrored by a surprisingly baby-faced group of misfits pressed against the barrier: a sea of trend-conscious twentysomethings in slouchy cargos and Y2K outfits desperate for a chance to brush against the singer’s hand. Supported by a guitarist, drummer and backing track, Lenae twirls on to the stage with the groove-heavy Sticky, and a lone wind machine whooshes her curls into the air.</p><p>Some songs from her <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/09/ravyn-lenae-birds-eye-review-a-breathtaking-rb-follow-up">2024 album Bird’s Eye</a> land on eager ears. The new material takes a sweet yet sharp turn from her earlier work, bouncing from the fun, rocksteady dubby speaker rattles in Candy to the tender, heart-on-chest ballad Love Is Blind. She airs her ruptured romantic frustrations in plaintive pleas: “How do you love me if you leave me behind?” But feels such as the slower, sad-girl moments on the new record, including Pilot, struggle to maintain the same momentum. Her recent melancholy undoubtedly means a great deal to her: Lenae punctuates the set with warm reflections on her own <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/01/ravyn-lenae-interview-one-wish-birds-eye" title="https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/aug/01/ravyn-lenae-interview-one-wish-birds-eye">growth as an artist</a> and offers a healthy, relatable dose of sist