Vince Leigh’s Single Review: Ruby Ruby by Susan Muranty
By Vince Leigh (Ex drummer of Pseudo Echo, Tina Arena and John Farnham) of Australian Radio Promotion for Sheldon Ang Media
Australian singer-songwriter Susan Muranty unveils the lead track, Ruby Ruby, from her forthcoming album, Fire Dove. The new tune seizes the mystique of world music, specifically Celtic-flavoured, and blends it with an array of melodically stylized inventions bearing a folk-pop sheen—though intentionally sidestepping a typical pop song structure. Intriguingly, one of the standout aspects of Ruby Ruby is this very fusion—it borrows heavily from traditions rooted in musical antiquity while simultaneously nodding to elements of mainstream accessibility. In sync with the organic musical landscape of Ruby Ruby is Muranty’s vocal style.
Though dictated by the melodic structure in some instances, it carries a fragile, almost hesitant quality that complements the song’s spirit, oscillating between lower and higher registers with a careful precision that emphasizes the song’s narrative potency. There are two dominant melodic sections within the track. The verses echo variations of a single cycle, while another takes the form of what one might label a chorus, yet it transforms into more of a mantra-like element here. This layout repeats, with the lyrics morphing and taking on a deeper, perhaps more melancholic tone. The repeated lines found in this chorus-like refrain seem to anchor the narrative, albeit in a poetically charged manner.
The initial refrain informs us, ‘sunset flames for one more night,’ followed by, ‘sunset love in dead of night.’ The experience comes full circle, with the initial blaze morphing into a rejuvenating aspect in the second. Muranty is no novice when it comes to critical acclaim, her trophy cabinet boasts awards from the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, the UK Songwriting Contest, Songs Alive Australia, and the ASA Songwriting Contest. Furthermore, her lyrical craftsmanship has landed her the much-coveted Lyrics trophy at the SCALA Festival of Original Music and top spots in the 2021 Tamworth Songwriters Association Lyrics Category and Australian Songwriters’ Association Spiritual Category.
