British singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas has returned with her first album since 2015, a 10-track journey through romance and reverie. Tender, transparent, and uniquely hers — it is self-titled, and her first fully self-produced record — it is La Havas showing up as she is. Lianne La Havas is boldly authentic and infused with passion.
The album glistens with grace from the get-go. "Bittersweet" starts slow only to soar, while "Paper Thin" cracks to let the light in. Minimalist instrumentals serve as a sparkling backdrop for La Havas's voice, which oscillates gratefully between trembling vulnerability and anthemic belts. Surrounded by delicate rhythms, La Havas's distinct vocal range is spotlighted on this record like never before. It is then no surprise that she pulls off a cover of Radiohead's "Weird Fishes" with such grace, as her voice steeps the decade-old song in soul that sparkles.
La Havas's third full-length record is fluid with feeling, and evidence that she has fully come into her own. Lianne La Havas is a masterpiece of vulnerability charting the path of a heart in the throes of new love.
(Nonesuch)The album glistens with grace from the get-go. "Bittersweet" starts slow only to soar, while "Paper Thin" cracks to let the light in. Minimalist instrumentals serve as a sparkling backdrop for La Havas's voice, which oscillates gratefully between trembling vulnerability and anthemic belts. Surrounded by delicate rhythms, La Havas's distinct vocal range is spotlighted on this record like never before. It is then no surprise that she pulls off a cover of Radiohead's "Weird Fishes" with such grace, as her voice steeps the decade-old song in soul that sparkles.
La Havas's third full-length record is fluid with feeling, and evidence that she has fully come into her own. Lianne La Havas is a masterpiece of vulnerability charting the path of a heart in the throes of new love.