audio review : Courage ( song ) … Lianne La Havas

Lianne is lonely, “terribly lonely”; bewitched with memories of a past romance. She still talks with that special someone occasionally, but “I lose my head every time we speak, so I sing instead all of these melodies.”

She describes her feelings of desolation with the metaphor of being high up on some sort of cliff, afraid to climb down, which is a weird comparison, but it’s a nice song, thanks mostly to her aforementioned vocal melodies.

my rating : 4 of 5

2020

audio review : Lianne La Havas ( album ) ... Lianne La Havas

audio review : Lianne La Havas ( album ) … Lianne La Havas

audio review : Lianne La Havas ( album ) ... Lianne La Havas

Bittersweet, one of the best songs on this album, would’ve made the most fitting title for it, but any of these song titles would’ve been better than Lianne La Havas. That it’s confusing as to whether I’m referring to the artist or the album is a testament to why self-titled projects are almost always an awful idea, especially when it’s not even a debut.

This is her third full-length set and she’s still singing mostly about “love” to 1970s-style soul grooves. Those funky/lush soundscapes remain the best thing about her music. The singing; not her voice, which is husky yet soothing, but her melodies; is usually trailing behind. Read My Mind is a joy to listen to though, along with Paper Thin and Courage.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020