FEATURE: Lianne La Havas Self-Titled Album

By Theresa Campanella

Lianne La Havas is back with a purpose, releasing her self-titled album, truly representing who she is as an artist. With raw emotions on the line, this summer release was worth the wait!

Following the release of her single ‘Bittersweet’ on February 25, Neo-Soul artist, Lianne La Havas returns with a purpose. With a five-year hiatus following her 2015 Grammy-nominated album, Blood, Havas released her captivating self-titled album on July 17, 2020, a revamp defining who she truly is and her potential as an artist and individual. As her third studio album premiere, it may potentially be the highlight and ever-growing incline in her career as a musician, songwriter, and producer. Ensuing a separation from a long-term relationship, Lianne exhibits exquisite soft sensuality in her voice, while each piece embodies a candid range of emotions. It feels both intimate and empowering, signifying a fresh beginning, as she revamps back into her career as a solo artist.

Born and raised as Lianne Barnes in London, England, to a Greek father and Jamaican mother, Lianne experienced a cultured life at a young age, traveling to each origin of her family heritage and listening to her parents’ diverse music tastes. With a father who was an accomplished instrumentalist, Havas learned early in life how to read and write music. She had a natural inclination for creating music and began singing at age 7 and writing music at 11.

Alongside several introductions to musicians who crossed her path, Lianne’s career launched with her introduction to English singer and actress, Paloma Faith. Touring with Faith in 2009, Havas provided backup vocals to the pop artist’s double-platinum UK debut album Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? Only a year after, Lianne signed to Warner Bros Records, and spent the next two years working on her own award-winning debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough? After finishing her debut album tour, she took a brief interlude to travel to Jamaica with her mom. Here, she reconnected with her family heritage, sparking the fuel for her second album, Blood, released in July 2015.

Relatable in many forms of art, new inspiration develops in life’s bleak moments, and often, can be a form of therapy. Accepting an ending to a long-term relationship, after 5 years from the release of her second album, Lianne was back at it and did not let us down. Considering this 2020 release to be her rebirth as a musician and individual, Lianne re-focused her anguish into her music, becoming more self-aware and independent. Tender, sexy, intimate, Havas brings us 10 original multi-genre pieces and a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Weird Fishes’. Listening, we get a note of reminiscent vintage groove, yet an essence of exoticism and South American rhythmic variations. With vocal and rhythmic contrasts throughout the album, it is free-flowing, yet with a tinge of torn emotions and raw introspection.

As a viewer of genre ambiguity, she strays from being forced into the definitive box of a singular genre. Her love for Joni Mitchell and Roberta flack fused with the essence of India Arie, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, create the mesmerizing world of Lianne La Havas sound. In ways, Lianne falls in the category of a Neo-Soul singer, but her album ventures into various realms of musical genres, from R&B, Soul, Jazz, to Folk and Brazilian elements.

Though she originally intended to drop the album in spring, the current climate hinted to her ultimate decision to make this a later summer release. Representing her roots and a voice for the current moment, Havas hoped to bring a sense of relief and connection to her followers. In an interview with NYPost, Havas explains, “As black women or just black people, you are representing other black people,” she continues “I just noticed over the years that the people that would come to my shows kind of look like me. So then I started to realize … when you are a black female particularly, there’s some kind of responsibility to do right by your audience, to uplift and to be visible doing your thing really well” (NYPost). Prior to the album’s release, on July 15th Havas did her first virtual live performance (on The Round House) with her cover of Radiohead’s ‘Weird Fishes. All proceeds went to BLM movement.

Lianne made it clear that she made this album on her terms, identifying this as her reason for making this a self-titled album: everything was there because she chose it to be there. She was shredding old skin, detoxifying through her music, and reflecting on the current world she lives in, both mentally and physically. It is relatable, yet completely fresh and original.

Due to the inability to tour in the current situation, Lianne has hinted at going straight to the studio to begin working on her next record. We are at Valley Doll will be keeping our eyes and ears open for any future releases!

Track Breakdown:

‘Bittersweet’: As the first released single of her album, it symbolizes a new beginning following the end of a troubling relationship. Heard in her wide vocal range of her harmonies, this track exemplifies her growth as a musician.
‘Read My Mind’: The Upbeat driving drumbeat accompanies a sassier energy.
‘Green Papaya’: this resembles the comfort felt in a longer-term relationship, influenced by Joni Mitchell and American jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius (Prevalent in the heavy, luscious bass line

4. ‘Can’t Fight’: As a pre-released single of May 2020, this track is energizing, with a youthful feel, paralleling the music Lianna listened to in her younger years.

5. ‘Paper Thin’: Comforting simplicity represents Lianna coming to terms with imperfections in life and the acceptance of raw production, flaws, and all. Lianne almost re-recorded the vocals due to emotional fatigue but decided to keep it real and display the vulnerability of ‘Paper Thin’ during the time of writing/recording it.

6. ‘Out of Your Mind’ (Interlude): Aqueous flowing transitional piece, Lianne’s layered vocals resemble a canonic variation that is both hypnotic and intriguing.

7. ‘Weird Fishes’: A unique, slowed-down cover of Radiohead’s 2007 Weird Fishes from the album, In Rainbows. Before Lianne began working on this album, she wanted to do a studio version of the cover she has previously performed. Incidentally, this recording helped kick-start her work on this latest release. Only six months following this recording, the entire album was completed.

8. ‘Please Don’t Make Me Cry’: Collaborating with New York-based blues artist Nick Hackim, this melancholic piece was written close to the time of her breakup, so emotions are strikingly distinct and prevalent.

9. ‘Seven Times’: Influenced by early Destiny’s Child and Brazilian songwriter and guitarist, Milton Nascimento, Lianne inserts Brazilian textures and guitar styles alongside vocal simplicity.

10. ‘Courage’: Featuring two guitars and Lianna’s voice without any backing, ‘Courage’ reflects an acoustic coffeehouse vibe.

11. ‘Sour Flower’: In 5/4 time, it resembles Brazillian rhythmic elements mixed in with tight harmonies, lyrically reflecting optimism and self-love.