SAYA is gentle, warm, and intimate, but far from simple. Gray subtly tweaks melodies and structures in ways that constantly take you by surprise. The lyrics to Shell of a Man seethe with frustration and anger, yet the music is jaunty, friendly, and full of light, a perfect encapsulation of what makes this album so special. The emotional complexity and balance between deep, melancholic themes and breezy, inviting melodies makes for an unexpectedly rich indie pop album.

Gray’s use of pedal steel guitar gives SAYA a country twang without leaning into country tropes, instead weaving through arrangements like a warm guiding voice. The album never feels weird for the sake of being weird, but it is experimental, and full of intricate and unexpected details. SAYA is mature, masterfully composed, and full of quiet confidence, an album that anyone with an ear for great songwriting should find impossible to resist.