Posted April 26, 2013

By DANIELA RODRIGUEZ

The debut album of the duo Rhye exudes nothing short of intimate and soft electronic melodies. With very Sade-like vocals, without really knowing the duo, anybody would think that it was a singer looking like Sade.

But what is surprising is that it is really a man delivering those vocals that sing about love and intimacy.

The duo, made up of musicians Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal, does not disappoint fans with its new album named “Woman.” In this 10-track album, Milosh’s sultry vocals take over in every song.

In the song “The Fall,” which has a more up-beat production, talks about a lover asking his significant other not to run away when problems arise.

The song “3 Days” brings more of an 1980s electronic feel with distant sultry vocals in the background. Hannibal’s work is more present in this song, where she brings in her influence from being in the Danish band Quadron.

The single “Open” also opens a world to an intimate moment between lovers, where it shows that even in a world where everything is about sex appeal, that it is still a beautiful moment between two souls in love.

The melodic strings of the piano and harp show just that while the hint of drums engage the listener to stay in the world that Milosh created.

The video for “Open” has caused somewhat of a controversy from glancing at the comments section on YouTube.

While some comment that the video is obscene and somewhat violent towards women, others see it as a way of truly understanding what Rhye is trying to portray in all of its songs.

Love and intimacy with one person isn’t the same with another lover. What Rhye tries to portray in its music is that there are different sides to love.

There will always be the heartbreak and loneliness, the playful and adventurous side, the romantic and lustful side.

They all combine together in this album and it feels like a relationship from beginning to end, going through the traditional emotional roller coaster that two lovers go through.

When Rhye first came on the scene about a year ago, the pair was a mystery in the sense that nobody knew who they were.

Listeners thought it was a woman singing and they didn’t disclose their names to the media. There were no pictures of them in the Internet.

So the question always remained, who exactly were they? It turned out to be Toronto native singer and producer Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal, who was part of the Danish electronic-soul band Quadron.

They first got together after they were doing remixes for each other and figured out that they would be a great duo. While Hannibal brought her producing, Milosh brought his vocals.

They both moved to Los Angeles in a moment of their lives where they were both in love with their significant others, and hence came about their first album, “The Fall,” If smooth and sultry with a mix of an 1980s electronic feel is what you are looking for, Rhye is a must listen.

• Album: “Woman”
• Artists: Rhye
• Price: On iTunes, it is $7.99. On Amazon, the audio CD is $8.99 and the MP3 album is also $7.99.
• Notable Songs: “Open,” “The Fall,” “One of Those Summer Days”
• Released: March 5, 2013
• Label: Universal Republic
• Rating: 4½ out of 5 stars