This has probably been the longest wait we’ve had to endure for a new Ayria record, with the previous outing being 2016’s Paper Dolls. Mastermind of this project, Jennifer Parkin, has teased us with a slew of new singles over the past couple of years giving listeners a tantalising taste of what to expect from the full release. Now, six years later, the synthpop queen has finally unveiled her newest work in the form of This is My Battle Cry.

From the get-go this is unmistakably an Ayria album. The basis for This is My Battle Cry is Parkin’s gloriously catchy and incredibly memorable iconic synthpop hooks that listeners will be able to pick out in an instant. Of course this is just the foundation of the record, because there’s plenty of flirting with various influences throughout that help to enhance the overall experience, as well as keeping things varied. From retro era inspirations to more gritty industrial tones, the album traverses quite a range both sonically and within its themes.

This is My Battle Cry isn’t exactly grounded by an obvious concept as with previous outings, but instead feels like one of a more personal nature to Parkin. Her lyrics in the opening track make this pretty blatant; ‘I’ve laid low/My ears and eyes/Blocked out the chaos/While others fight/I have awoken no longer paralyzed/My weapon chosen/It’s time to join the fight.’ Its clear that her experiences are what have shaped this record and its clear that she’s matured as a musician, which can genuinely be felt throughout its duration.

Title track “Battle Cry” opens the album to a chugging, glitched industrial landscape. The style of this one very reminiscent of Year Zero era Nine Inch Nails, although has been reimagined in a way where Jennifer Parkin has made it her own. This comes complete with gritty electronics that are contrasted by beautifully haunting vocal melodies. It helps to set the scene for the rest of the album. “Stranger Danger”, on the other hand, begins with distorted keys and transitions into a number that’s closer to the more traditional Ayria sound. This track is packed with addicting shimmering synthpop melodies and a catchy rhythm that propels the record into much more uptempo territory. Even though this has a whimsical feel, it still comes across as standoffish and has darker tones under its seemingly more innocent surface.

Parkin bares her soul on this album more than she ever has done before, making the proceedings feel all the more genuine.

Meanwhile, “Why Aren’t You Dead yet?” is drenched in a retro aesthetic and is bustling with 80’s influences. The song has a smooth flow to it which is thanks to incredibly slick bass hooks alongside thumping beats that keep a nice stompy pace throughout. There’s a real moody feel to it that is only intensified by clever analogies of crime scene investigation to bring across the themes of betrayal – and this can also be felt in Parkin’s vocal delivery. “Irreplaceable” takes things a bit slower being melancholy in tone, yet is equally comforting. Its a surprisingly beautiful and moving track that is a message to those who are going through their darkest moments. Lyrics such as ‘When this world gets too much and you want to go/There’s no pleasure just pain/Just know you’re irreplaceable’ are powerful enough to speak for themselves, and that fact that Parkin comes across so genuine is touching.

“Erase Me From You” returns to the uptempo danceable refrains and beats whilst also being a tragic tale. This is mainly carried by a minimal but incredibly addicting bassline, although there are subtle hints of melody and ambience that are sprinkled throughout. This is a nice touch and as the song progresses these come together pleasingly. It evolves in truly intriguing ways before the end of its runtime. “We Can’t Love Here Anymore” comes in with a wave of distortion, creating a warped soundscape that is somewhat eerie. This smoothly transitions into a track with a more traditional melody some booming bass that helps add to the impact. The layering here is incredibly effective and Parkin’s contorted vocals become instrumentation in themselves that helps to generate a mesmerising atmosphere. It feels like a ghost in the machine.

Then “No One Asked You” reels in unrelentingly, having all the hallmarks of a dance-floor filler. The hooks here are to die for and the bouncy nature of it is enough to get anyone addicted. Its here where Parkin is at her most ferocious, absolutely slamming any haters and including a healthy dose of sarcasm for good measure. This one has a delightfully wicked tone, complete with devilishly malformed pop tones that wouldn’t at all sound out of place on an Angelspit album. “The Next Time” is introduced with pleasingly low-fi keys and this alongside a clean drumbeat creates quite a contrast to the other tracks across the record. This builds to lush texturing of electronic layers that intertwine in wondrous ways. Jennifer Parkin shows a great vocal range throughout the track and she sings with conviction.

There’s once again a return to retro inspired elements in “Too Much Noise” and the instrumental components come across as a sinister synthpop rendition of Kraftwerk’s “Das Model”. Despite wearing her influences on her sleeve here, this feels unique enough to stand on its own merits. This is largely thanks to Parkin’s sleek, often mischievous, vocals and an atmosphere that evolves into more cosmic tones. Closing off the album is the aptly titled “End of Life”, feeling like the antithesis to the beginning of the record. Where things started to a slower pace and chugging melody, this goes for a much more nimble tempo, alongside harder beats. There’s brilliantly gritty synths along with some moments that feel grand in scope. The title of the track pretty much sums up the themes it explores and comes across as reflective at times – there’s certainly a sense of finality to it.

Jennifer Parkin hasn’t reinvented the wheel with This is My Battle Cry but has still refined it to a perfect sheen. She continues to grow and mature as a musician as well as a song writer, with this being some of her strongest material yet in terms of presentation. The influences that have been spliced into the mix feel refreshing without veering too far off course and keeps the record on a steady path. Additionally, the lyrical content along with the themes explored come across beautifully. The way this is delivered is incredibly effective too, being very intimate whilst also incredibly relatable. Parkin bares her soul on this album more than she ever has done before, making the proceedings feel all the more genuine.

After such a long hiatus some might have expected more from a new Ayria release, but as the old saying goes – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is still a great record that is more than worthy of listener’s time. Its packed with addicting hooks and a number of tracks across the album are definitely some of the best that Jennifer Parkin has created so far. The experimentation that has been explored is fantastic too and fits into the Ayria mould perfectly. For future releases it would be great to see these boundaries pushed even further. This is My Battle Cry is more of an evolution than a revolution, but if you’ve enjoyed Ayria thus far then you definitely will not be disappointed.

Final Verdict: Synthpop queen Jennifer Parkin has refined her craft to perfection on This is My Battle Cry. She bares her soul on this record, with it being some of her most intimate work yet and it just shows how much she’s matured as a musician. Its feels like an evolution rather than a revolution but is more than worthy of listener’s time

Check out This is My Battle Cry over at Ayria’s Bandcamp page: https://ayria.bandcamp.com/