Grace Cummings’ Ramona: A Masterful Storm of Sound and Emotion

THE BEST RECORD OF THE YEAR : Number 5

Album Review: Ramona by Grace Cummings
Grace Cummings’ Ramona is an awe-inspiring testament to resilience, vulnerability, and artistry. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty, Margo Price), this third full-length release finds Cummings stepping confidently into a lush, orchestrated sound that perfectly amplifies her unparalleled voice—undeniably the album’s magnetic centerpiece.

From the opening notes of “Something Going ‘Round,” Ramona pulls you into a richly textured world. The warm piano, guiding bassline, and sweeping strings are only the beginning. The track builds like a storm, with choirs, organs, and horns lifting Cummings’ voice as she sings of lost love and the solitary emotional unraveling it brings. The adventurous production creates distinct sonic worlds for each song, yet the album flows seamlessly as a cohesive whole.

Ramona explores themes of solitude, identity, and perseverance. The lead single, “On and On,” channels ‘80s new wave balladry with rhythmic bass, drums, and soulful brass, showcasing Cummings’ ability to merge genres without losing her essence. Tracks like “Work Today (And Tomorrow)” shift gears, delivering a torch song with sweeping strings and Cummings’ voice laid bare in all its emotive power—a performance reminiscent of Billie Holiday’s melancholy or Nina Simone’s gravitas.

The powerhouse track “Everybody’s Somebody” is pure soul and blues, as Cummings belts with Janis Joplin-like force. Her voice soars, raw and unrestrained, capturing the kind of heartache and defiance that would bring a barroom crowd to stunned silence. Meanwhile, “Common Man” embraces a roots-rock Americana spirit, painting the cowboy archetype not as a rugged loner but as someone escaping societal expectations for spiritual freedom under the open sky. When she triumphantly sings, “I don’t need shelter now,” it becomes an anthem of liberation—literal, emotional, and existential.

The depth of Ramona lies not only in its musical range but in its lyrical poignancy. “A Precious Thing,” a standout track, sees Cummings wrestling with love’s absence, her mournful growl betraying the defiance she tries to muster. The song aches with emotional rawness while maintaining a quiet grace. By contrast, “Love and the Canyon,” a stripped-back ballad inspired by Topanga, California, yearns for connection, blending Cummings’ elemental imagery with hushed, introspective beauty.

The album closes on “Help Is On Its Way,” a tender whisper of hope and resolve that ensures Ramona ends with an emotional uplift. This arc—from grief to cautious optimism—cements the album’s narrative cohesion.

Cummings wears her influences proudly—Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Patti Smith—but never loses her own singular voice. The album’s title and titular track, inspired by Dylan’s To Ramona, frame this record as a brave mask: a persona that allows her to be deeply vulnerable. While Ramona occasionally hints at the grandeur of a concept album, its strength lies in its emotional range and fearless genre exploration.

With Ramona, Grace Cummings solidifies her place as one of modern folk’s most compelling voices. Her ability to navigate intricate arrangements and intense emotional terrain is unmatched. This is an album that rewards multiple listens, offering something new—and deeply felt—each time.

Ramona is a triumph, a storm of sound and soul that lingers long after the final note.