I’ve just looked up to see the rain absolutely lashing against the windows. Baby Blue, one of our cats, has come inside from the little back garden where he’s allowed to roam, and he has very wet paws! We had to dry them before he was allowed on the mat in front of the fire.
Given that I’m not going out this morning, I’m settling down to listen to the new Riley Max album, What It Takes, released on 2 October 2026 and now available on the main streaming platforms.
I came across Riley previously when I reviewed her single “Pockets” for the magazine. That track also features on this album, so I’m returning to familiar territory here, albeit with another twelve songs to explore.
Press Release
Riley Max is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter and multimedia artist from Colorado. Her debut album, ROY G BIV — recorded when she was just 18 — received widespread acclaim, and her second album is set for release this autumn.
She is a rising senior at Harvard University, where she studies Art, Film and Visual Studies. She is also the music director of The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones and appears in a wide variety of musical theatre productions.
Her penchant for storytelling stems from an early love of 1990s romantic comedies and childhood exposure to copious amounts of 1980s music. Her creative interests extend beyond music, too. Her background as a cover artist and comic creator for the Harvard Independent, combined with her skills as a composer, forms the basis of her undergraduate thesis, which will take the form of a fully animated short film.
Riley’s latest album, What It Takes, is a 14-track coming-of-age collection written over a period of five years. The album explores themes including navigating change, mental health, the dissolution of friendships, finding love and the search for connection.
The music was written and recorded in dorm rooms, college studios, Riley’s family home and other locations, reflecting a variety of settings and inspirations.
Riley explains:
“It was really important to me to preserve that spontaneity of things. What It Takes is a very exploratory album for me, because many of the songs were sort of written on the spot and even recorded that way, on inspiration, being in the moment.
“When I listen to this album, I get more emotionally nostalgic intense memories. I remember exactly when I wrote these songs, and that’s something I’m proud of, because I wanted to get better at writing about myself and actually putting myself on the page, not just putting these characters on the page.
“It does feel like, when I look back and listen to this album, I am looking back on real moments from my life, and not just these moments that I’ve concocted. I hope it means something to others as well!”
My Review
We have fourteen songs here, running to a total of 52 minutes.
“Year One”
“Year One” introduces us to Riley Max’s style straight away: reflective storytelling with an immediate, personal feel. This is music for the listener who enjoys modern folk with an occasional twist of lemon!
The production is sharp, and you get the sense of being there with Riley. “Look me straight in the eye and tell me it’s over,” she tells me. We all make bad choices, although some of us get to reflect on them musically.
“Flat Out on My Floor”
Running to just 1 minute and 57 seconds, this is a snappy little ditty, complete with neat backing “dum dum” touches and gentle humming. It’s a likeable track, offering a little sugar after the slightly melancholic opener.
“World Somewhere”
Here, the tempo picks up with jazzy drums pushed a little further into the mix. The whole track takes us into that intimate, late-night jazz-club atmosphere, where the punters sip bourbon and the last dancers are still swaying gently across the floor.
The backing vocals are used effectively, and the track took me towards the music of German-based jazz-pop singer Larkly. There’s a relaxed, late-night charm to this one.
“Pockets”
I was listening to this one on a return visit, and I liked it a little more this time! I will, however, stick to my original review, with the caveat that hearing it in the context of the album gives it a home. It feels more comfortable in the company of its fellow tracks.
This is a stripped-back pop-folk song about sitting together playing chess, telling jokes, getting kissed and deciding it’s time to hit the road. It’s one of those whimsical little songs about pockets of love and the small moments in life that come and go, often when we least expect them.
It’s very much a song to have on while making breakfast, putting some toast on and enjoying a cheerful little earful of music to get the day started.
“Body Between Us”
Running to just under six minutes, this is a piano ballad with understated brush drumming and the occasional cymbal adding texture.
For me, it was more of a drift-along song. It lacked the immediate connection I found in the earlier tracks, offering instead a melancholy winter mood filled with complicated emotions. Perhaps it was particularly appropriate for such a rainy morning!
“Constants”
A lament built around piano and strings, “Constants” gives the impression that the instruments themselves are crying. There’s something almost Sherlockian about the arrangement, with a sense of mystery and a distinctly nocturnal atmosphere.
It’s a track that conjures up images of dark streets and thoughts that refuse to settle.
“Intermission”
An intermission of sound! At just 1 minute and 21 seconds, we get maracas, bongos and an assortment of sounds that, for some reason, reminded me of the Muppets.
It’s an unexpected little diversion, providing a playful pause before the album moves on.
“Same Time Next Year”
This is the most commercially pop-oriented track on the album. It has a radio-friendly feel, and you can certainly bop along to it.
Moving away from the earlier folkier material, Riley delivers what feels like a college-break-up song set to a sweet, almost saccharine pop beat. I liked it. It’s easy listening, has a singalong quality and resonated with memories of those Victorious episodes on Nickelodeon that were part of my growing-up years.
There’s an accessible, youthful charm here that should appeal to pop listeners.
“Owe Me”
We remain in pop territory, with those familiar “dum dum” backing vocals adding texture and giving the arrangement an almost a cappella quality.
It moves along swiftly and proves to be an interesting little curio within the album. Riley clearly enjoys experimenting with vocal arrangements, and this is another example of that approach.
“Something Tonight”
We return to a piano-led ballad, with Riley delivering a lovely vocal performance. Her voice is well suited to folk and jazz-influenced material, and here she creates the feeling of a gentle conversation with the listener.
I enjoyed this one. When Riley works in this style, she brings us into her world and gives us a sense of her personality. Rather than simply listening to a song, you feel as though you’ve become part of the story.
“Plastic Table”
A jaunty little number, this reminded me of a group of students sitting in a circle, beating out a rhythm as they sing together.
“Grow like a flower, standing tall in the breeze” gives us a lyrical glimpse of the song’s character, while the addition of a male vocal creates the feel of a communal performance.
It’s easy to imagine this being sung around a table with a group of friends. There’s a warmth and informality to the arrangement that works rather nicely.
“Angelina”
“Angelina” opens with strings before the piano joins in, and we’re left wondering where Angelina has gone.
It’s a sad song about absence and loss, both for the missing Angelina and for the broken heart left behind. We return to the cold of winter and the familiar territory of lost love.
It’s a well-constructed track, although perhaps not one I connected with as strongly as some of the others.
“What It Takes”
Now, this is one I liked a lot more!
That cool, jazzy drum feel, the poppy vocal delivery and the infectious beat made this a track I connected with almost immediately. There’s a little funk in the mix, too, giving it an extra lift.
Finding the album’s title track so late in the running order was a welcome surprise. It has the sort of appeal that makes you want to return for another listen, and it brings together several of the musical elements that work particularly well across the album.
For me, this is possibly the best track here.
“gods song”
We close with a nod towards the ancient gods, including Zeus, and the mythology of earlier times, with ideas of being misconstrued and misunderstood.
It’s a short, whimsical number, one of those little tracks that acts as a musical pick-me-up — or, in this case, a way of closing the album on a lighter note.
After some of the more reflective and melancholic material, it’s a playful way to bring things to a close.
Final Thoughts
“What It Takes” is an interesting coming-of-age collection from a young artist who is clearly learning about herself through her songwriting. Across fourteen tracks, Riley Max moves between folk, jazz, pop and piano-led balladry, with a willingness to experiment rather than settle into one particular sound.
Not every song connected with me equally, and some of the slower numbers drifted past without leaving quite the same impression as the more immediate material. However, there is a genuine sense of personality here, and I particularly enjoyed the moments when Riley’s jazz influences and pop sensibilities came together.
The title track was a late highlight, while “World Somewhere”, “Same Time Next Year” and “Something Tonight” also gave me plenty to enjoy.
There’s something appealing about an album that captures five years of growing up, with all the uncertainty, changing relationships and unexpected turns that come with it. Riley is still developing her musical identity, but “What It Takes” suggests that storytelling is already at the heart of what she does.
And with the rain still coming down outside, Baby Blue safely dried off and the fire keeping things cozy, this has been a worthwhile morning’s listening. I may not have connected with every track, but there’s enough here to add a few to my personal listens and for me to recommend this album for an Autumn evening’s listen.
*
Love what we do? Rock the Joint Magazine is completely free — no paywalls, no ads ruining the read — just passionate music journalism for 1,000+ readers a day. If you enjoy hanging out with us, please consider hitting the “Support Us” button and buying us a coffee on Ko-Fi. Even a small donation genuinely helps keep the magazine running, lets us publish more features, and reminds us that people value independent music writing. Remember, we work hard for you here!
You can stream music from Riley Max here
By Lorraine Foley
Join Rock the Joint Magazine on the road to the best independent music journalism, interviews and reviews. We cover Rock, Country, Jazz, Blues and Christian music. Support us on Ko-Fi (link on each page) to help the magazine grow and value independent journalism.
