Is Your Love Big Enough?

Toughest test for the rookie

The British scene, presently referred to mainly as a supplier of indie rockers and electronic craftsmen, has this time pleased the international audience with the appearance on the British soil of a promising folk and soul singer. Lianne La Havas has not yet release one long playing record, but already earned herself big-named fans including Prince and Stevie Wonder. And stars of this caliber are difficult to surprise and even more difficult to please. However, the bigger the praise now, the higher the hopes are, and the heavier the responsibility grows. Skilled producers, of course, have prepared the girl for all the ordeals. They did not throw her raw, inexperienced and disoriented into the melting pot of the show business. For the last two years, she has shared stage with a lot of prominent performers, sung as a guest vocalist for several widely promoted projects and released two EPs. Yet the 22-year old native of London will be judged with all strictness after she releases her debut full-length, and at that point the singer has no right to make a mistake.

An amazingly powerful album

To cut a long story short, Lianne La Havas’ debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, is a mightiest revelation and experience. It would be too bold and headless to expect such a young, musically unripe, singer to release anything of this kind. Yet this is boldness that drives the record. One can elaborate long and deep on the strength of her vocal, on the distinctness of her intonations, true feeling of her own self and anticipation of a right note. However, Is Your Love Big Enough? wins the listener not with the vocals alone, but rather with the combination of singing parts and guitar parts, which, by the way, are performed by Lianne La Havas, too. Right, her fingers pluck the strings of the acoustic instrument elegantly as the music starts a fascinating dialogue with the vocals. On the basis of this interaction such nearly flawless tracks as Au Cinema, and Forget are made. However, when the nervousness needs to be changed for a softer and smoother manner, Lianne resorts to piano as she does in enchanting ballads Lost And Found, and Gone. Apart from these, there are other, simply pleasant, tuneful and energetic songs, for example the opening Don’t Wake Me Up, or the title track.

Lianne La Havas shows all she can

It is but logical that on Is Your Love Big Enough? Lianne La Havas keeps her lyrics concentrated on questions of romantic affairs. What else could a 22-year old girl sing so zealously? The listener will be conquered by the easiness and accessibility of the lyrics. Staying away from complexity and sophistication, the singer uses banal wordings which, surprisingly, form fine poetry with a sensation of sincerity and genuineness. As a matter of fact, the entire album breathes with directness, naturalness and originality. Probably, because the young performer did enjoy working on this record, and the words she sings reflect a part of her own self. The excellent production provided the release with smooth track-to-track sequencing. There are no indiscreet or unconfident moves here, but every detail is thought through, measured and executed for sure. The top level making of the record allows the listener to focus the whole attention on Lianne La Havas and appraise this awesome singer’s huge potential.