RUBY WATERS WILL PERFORM FRIDAY, JULY 25 Simple genre-specification is a tall order with Ruby Waters’ energetic, groove-filled music. Often traversing through jazz-inflected soul and hip-hop before shaking the walls with deeply infectious and memorable hooks, Waters hit an immediately high artistic stride with the release of her 2019 debut album Almost Naked, featuring the national hits “Supernatural” and “Sweet Sublime.”

Waters quickly followed up the success of Almost Naked with the release of the more stripped down If It Comes Down To It in 2020. Its laid back vibe showcased some of Waters’ deeper soul elements topping charts and garnering Juno nominations.

Her latest release, 2024’s What’s The Point? finds Waters experimenting with eclectic musicality and arrangements that incorporate elements of electronic drum and bass with punk rock and new wave flourishes, without sacrificing her natural ability to emotionally ascend with a killer hook, even as she delves deeper into her soulful introspective side with esoteric singer-songwriter elements. Waters has a gift of using the sardonic language of a generational moment while weaving it into timeless cascading melodies that build into huge crescendos.

- Mike Dunn