It’s almost two years since Ms Ray released ‘A Broken Heart Still Beats’. In a sea of manufactured pop and highly processed soul it was a refreshingly simple and yet deeply emotional music. Highly relatable and accessible but with a quiet edge that just really made it stand out. Fast forward and she’s back with a new five track EP on Scenic Route, ‘Melt’.

Apart from ‘Signs’, which popped up on the excellent Road Less Travelled Vol.2 comp last year, these are all new tracks and variously reflect on the effect of love. First in line is ‘Thin Ice’, a steady bass paces the track, along with some choice synth chords. Meanwhile that voice does what it does best, it has a subtle intensity that can move the emotional dial with ease. ‘Miss You’ is a more choppy production, this time doubling up voices with Nourished by Time for a duet that explains the problems of being apart. Their singing styles balance nicely with one another, and the duo approach gives another angle to the sound.

‘The Key’ brings in some more warped noises to the mix, carving a bit of a space funk path into ‘Signs’ which is probably the purest pop moment on here. A lovely hook and melody that interplays nicely with her double tracked vocals. Finally, ‘You’re Here’ opens up another path, fuller production on this one, but still with the vocals front and centre. The synth sweeps carve a nice partition into a solo section mid way before the beat returns, rounding out the EP in a satisfying way. This is music that works on multiple levels if allowed to, just count the ways.

Melt is out now on Scenic Route.