Lianne La Havas

Lianne La Havas’s eponymous third album brings nothing new to the table. It features the same sounds as her album Is Your Love Big Enough, with its folk styles and a mix of classical and electric guitar. Her melancholic tone is similar as well, and the black and white cover is very simple. But in the end, isn’t that what we like about the British singer of Greco-Jamaican origin, Lianne La Havas, the very pronunciation of whose name evokes poetry from the islands? And if you pay a bit more attention to it, this album is adorned with retro jazz pianos, finely laid strings and delicate keyboards, without taking anything away from the velvety tone of her voice, which is recognisable above all else. Lianne La Havas is authentic, no more and no less, as much as her hair occupies half of her picture and her gigantic smile the other half, her vocal vibrations need no more artifice. Also, if the recurring themes of irresistible love, of bitter sweetness, and of positivity, give the impression of a certain ease in the process, there’s no need to want more, in the age of constant change and endless consumption. Of note is a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes”, with an a capella break in the middle promising magical moments in concert. Finally, her guitar and voice are at the root of the most beautiful emotions and when they’re so well mastered, as in the song “Courage”, there’s not much left to say.