Never before have I heard – and perhaps never again will I witness – such an inspired and heart-wrenching album vocally than Salt Lake City act Ritt Momney‘s debut 13-track collection, Her and All of My Friends. Brainchild Jack Rutter speaks from a space of loss at many levels – Rutter spends his time writing alone mostly, since his friends and girlfriend have gone off to college and pursued missions in other regions – and delivers a highly relatable album, christened with his beautiful vocals

The album opens raw with “I”, which leads into “Lew’s Lullaby”, a very literal telling of his loss of people in his life to circumstance. While “Command V” – computer nerds, we got you and that shortcut for “paste” – might give us some dramatic lyrics that truly resonate, the faster paced “On Love (An Alternative Response to Almitra’s Request)” holds a fondness in our hearts, as we got to witness it live and it features the vocals of Rutter’s adorable girlfriend. As the rest of the album unfolds, you realize how much heart went into its creation. Thirteen tracks that draw an emotional response, amidst thousands of releases that dedicate that type of attention to one or two songs, is incredibly thrilling to see.

What Ritt Momney has accomplished – at a level higher than most of what we have witnessed thus far – is the creation of a new genre, as he integrates an r&b flare into his indie alternative music, at times rock, sometimes more electronic, and, interestingly, percussion heavy. But, save for the lines of spoken word or rap, more or less, there isn’t a moment void of Rutter’s airy, breath of fresh air vocals. This album is definitely one to hold onto, especially when you’re missing someone.

Keep up with Ritt Momney here.

Meredith Schneider