So with the Mercury Awards just a couple of days away I thought I’d check out some of the artists I hadn’t yet heard. Having a flick through various of the artist’s singles I was grabbed by Lianne La Havas’ ‘Forget’ which I was fairly sure I’d heard somewhere before but hadn’t realised quite how good it was. So I decided I’de give her album a go, bearing in mind most Soul records I’ve listened to in the past few years I’ve been astounded by the singers’ voices but bored by their records, could this one be different?
In short, yes it can. La Havas has an unbelievable knack for finding a catchy soulful hook within most of her songs that make her immediately more listen-able than others. This is exemplified with the aforementioned ‘Forget’ beautifully sung, well crafted verses flow perfectly into the insanely catchy chorus that gives the song just a good edge of pop. There are other less pop-y songs on the album but the hooks are rarely missing. She reminds me in many ways of Adele the way she has the power to make you empathise completely with her. ‘Lost and Found’ is, for me, the stand out track; it has the most angst ridden yet soulful lyrics and is sung in such a beautiful way its impossible not to be transported back to a time when you had similar feelings and that is the sign of genuine artistry.
Is Your Love Big Enough? is an album that brings the Soul genre a brand new breath of life in the wake of the success of people like Adele who have incorporated part of the genre in there more singer/songwriter style Lianne La Havas manages to make an album that sounds far more unashamedly Soul music with her own pop twist. With her debut she has placed herself firmly on the map as a maverick in her own right.
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