9 ★★★★★★★★★
Every once in a while, whenever I get the chance to review an album and manage to love it only three songs in, I know I’ve found something special. The album does not drag in the middle like some do, it does not get to the point of lacking creativity, or losing the connection with the listener, it feels as personal as if you were there with Lianne. “Is Your Love Big Enough?” is the debut album from British singer Lianne La Havas, and it might be one of this year’s hidden gems.
London native, Lianne La Havas performs both folk and soul, and first caught my attention (as most new acts do every year) when she was featured in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll. Love will always be a main theme in albums, whether it’s finding it, keeping it or moving on from it, it will always be something that artists will sing about, and while in some cases it feels as a getaway for cheap songwriting, Lianne shows us the power of not only great introspective lyrics, but also her amazing soulful voice and modest production behind a record that you could easily play without skipping a song. Overall, I don’t think I’m being too abrupt to call her “the next big thing”.
La Havas brings emotion to each and every one of her songs, but to me the highlight of the album is “Lost & Found“, in which the lyrics go “You broke me, and taught me, to truly hate myself… I cannot hide how low I feel, to know that you were never wrong”. While the lyrics in “Lost & Found” are in the heartbreak department, La Havas also shows another facet, a more content one in songs like “Au Cinema“, where she sings about being on-screen lovers, or “Age” which talks about falling for a man who could be “old enough to be my father“.
In conclusion, “Is Your Love Big Enough?” is by far one of the best debut albums of the year, Lianne La Havas has everything to be the next big thing in music, it’s just a matter of time until people find out about her talent and are able to connect with her gripping lyrics and soulful melodies.
You can purchase “Is Your Love Big Enough?” at our TYF Store by clicking here!
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