Allan Rayman

One Liner: Honestly hard to categorize, kind of an indie electro rap type guy?
Wikipedia Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Spotify Says Similar To: Berhana and Louis Mattrs
Home: Toronto (by way of Wyoming, apparently)

Poster Position: 17
Slot: ?

Thoughts:  This is interesting music.  It is almost rap, almost R&B, almost spoken word meditations on life.  His Wikipedia page is pretty spare, and his Spotify bio is all about how enigmatic and mysterious the guy is.  I don't know how mysterious this all is, he's just got some pretty basic beats and then he rap/sings over the top.  His live shows sound odd though, the Spotify bio says that he sings along to pre-recorded tracks and then just sits there on stage, sipping a drink while spoken messages play over the speakers.  Doesn't sound like the kind of thing to go over at a Fest, but who knows?
He has two albums, 2017's Roadhouse 01 and 2016's Hotel Allan.  According to what I've read, the new album is a concept album about this bad guy named Mr. Roadhouse.  Much of the sound on it is kind of tough, something in there reminds me of the low-down, rough-hewn sound of something that would be featured on a gritty show like the Wire or Justified. But then "13" sounds like this guy loves himself some Michael Jackson tunes.  I almost expected him to give a acha-acha-ooooh! in the midst of it.

With 1.1 million streams, that one is in the top several on the new album, but isn't the most popular one on the new disc.  That would be "Repeat," which has 2.1 million streams.

Just a tough ass song.  "I've seen worse, did awful things, Leave it on repeat," is a pretty flipping bleak message.  From the older album, his most popular three tracks are from that album, "Graceland," "Lucy the Tease," and "Tennessee."  I'll give you that last one, the champ at 5.3 million streams.

I don't know, I feel like lyrically this sounds like something that should be folk/country, like a storytelling guy on his guitar, but instead it is delivered like a rap over electro beats that are spare and brooding.  I don't know what to do with that.  Not necessarily dance music.  Not necessarily a good rap beat (but sometimes there is, like "Barry Moves").  I don't know.  If I have to make an opinion, I think it is that this is interesting, but I wouldn't probably prioritize it over other music in October.

Recommend?  Probably not.