Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
100
It makes perfect sense that this is her first self-titled album, despite being her third overall; it feels like this is the album La Havas was destined to make. Truly captivating.
90
In creating a lush, warm atmosphere, the album allows La Havas to mine the darker corners of love and emotional connection without the subject matter ever weighing it down—everything is delicately and artfully balanced.
90
La Havas makes it all flow and mesh by revisiting each moment like it's the present, using apt metaphors related to plant life and seasonal cycles, and most importantly, by not overselling a single emotion.
87
Lianne La Havas is the quintessential self-titled record – one that, like Prince’s best work, demonstrates the artist’s range while existing as a cohesive statement of purpose.
85
In creating a record that is so unabashedly true to herself La Havas delivers her best work yet.
83
Her latest release — simply, Lianne La Havas — signals a shift away from the acoustic theatrics of 2012's Is Your Love Big Enough and 2015’s Blood into pared-down poetic complexity with a mix of left leaning pop and high-voltage electric blues.
80
A jazzy, soulful, understated account of breakup and recovery, that shimmers like a gorgeous summer groove and lets La Havas’s tender singing and cryptic lyrics carry the bittersweet emotion.
80
Lianne La Havas is an album that doesn’t shy away from the realities of love and life. It celebrates the highs, exposes the lows, and ends with a sense of having found contentment with solitude.
80
British soul artist Lianne La Havas rediscovers herself on her self-titled new album. It's a mesmerizing mix of spirituality and sensuality.
80
This album is just very lovely, and it’s full of gratitude for the past, as messy as it may sometimes be. It doesn’t reinvent any wheels, it’s just very, very lovely.
80
Lianne La Havas was already a fantastic album. Any songwriter would be lucky to write something this articulate, or arrange something so considered. But La Havas’ vocal abilities showcase the merits of this album in a way that many other artists can’t achieve.
80
It took until album three for her to embrace her name, but the Londoner has slotted into her groove with this carefully crafted, self-titled album.
80
While there are still nods to the polite dinner-party soundtrack feel of her early work – the string-drenched Courage, for example – this is a much bolder statement of intent.
80
Lianne La Havas' self-titled album is fittingly her boldest yet.
80
If nothing else, Lianne La Havas should be a testament to one of the best songwriters occupying that intersection of pop, R&B, and art rock right now.
80
Lianne La Havas's eponymous third sees the Londoner stray far from the neo-soul traditionalism of her first two albums, swapping in hypnotic guitar parts, mystical melodies, and even Radiohead covers.
Print Only
3y
80
Not to say Lianna La Havas is a sonic shock: it's evolution not revolution, putting its author's sound deeper into her own context.
Print Only
3y
80
It’s true that Lianne La Havas does lull in places, and the vocals do rescue her from a tight spot on more than one occasion, but you get the sense that this is a record which you really have to live with and invest time in before you’re lucky enough to appreciate its myriad charms.
80
This is a record you’ve heard many times over, in its message and musical backdrop. But Lianne La Havas handles her songs with so much care, detail and passion that, upon hearing it, you might feel those feelings anew.
80
The album instantly feels more purposeful than its predecessor: Where Blood can feel labored over, perhaps too hungry for hits, Lianne La Havas isn’t seemingly beholden to such expectations.
80
Her most satisfying and complete work to date.
78
Paring her sound back to little more than her skillful guitar-playing and deep, husky voice, the London songwriter explores the aftermath of a breakup with confidence and repose.
70
One of the successes of this self-titled album is how La Havas has been unafraid to collaborate with lots of different mixers and performers to give a distinctive feel to each track.
70
La Havas's third full-length record is fluid with feeling, and evidence that she has fully come into her own. Lianne La Havas is a masterpiece of vulnerability charting the path of a heart in the throes of new love.
70
Most of all, it’s more music that features La Havas’ exquisite voice, her ear for soulful textures, and solid songwriting. I don’t think that you could ask for much more.
60
Her voice has an emotive power that can evoke both Nina Simone and Erykah Badu, rarely showboating yet always impactful. It means 'Lianne La Havas' is never dull. But her lyrics just don't take those same risks. It feels almost too polite.
60
It's been five years since her last record, but Lianna La Havas hasn't taken that time to radically reinvent her sound.
Print Only
3y
at one point - any point - of any song, it suddenly clicks, and you understand the value of the material (listen to her cover of radiohead’s "weird fishes" for full astonishment).
Lianne La Havas' self titled album is a half decade built journey of courage and a newborn butterfly.
簡而精 is a Chinese phrase that means "simple but refined". It is a wonderful word to roll out from the tongue, and it is a perfect adjective to represent this wonderful album.
The word includes 3 parts of pronunciations in Cantonese:
1. 簡 (gan), meaning "simple", which starts off spoken in a neutral vocal range, going upward.
2. 而 (yi), meaning "but/and", which sets at a very low tone, in contrast to the first letter.
3. 精 (zing), meaning ... read more
Wow I wasn't expecting this album to be this good to be honest, Lianne La Havas is her self titled studio album, And while I've heard good things about her before I wasn't expecting too much for some reason, But now I would even say this album is even a little bit underrated. Lianne is so god damn beautiful on this project, Her singing is impeccable and her vocals are so elegant and soft but also powerful, She is delivering so much passion in each and every song, And you can hear she really ... read more
Contributions By
Novell_sx, MarkyC, domvic, anztec, MikeOwen, kindasweetener, OPENblinds, Bjartolini, hbear, imafraidofBecome a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | Bittersweet 4:52 | 95 |
| 2 | Read My Mind 4:48 | 91 |
| 3 | Green Papaya 4:05 | 84 |
| 4 | Can't Fight 3:10 | 88 |
| 5 | Paper Thin 4:58 | 85 |
| 6 | Out Of Your Mind (Interlude) 1:04 | 85 |
| 7 | Weird Fishes 5:54 | 94 |
| 8 | Please Don't Make Me Cry 5:14 | 93 |
| 9 | Seven Times 3:30 | 86 |
| 10 | Courage 3:38 | 85 |
| 11 | Sour Flower 6:47 | 92 |
Total Length: 48 minutes
Year End Lists
| #2 | / | Albumism |
| #5 | / | KCRW |
| #6 | / | The New York Times: Jon Pareles |
| #10 | / | Okayplayer |
| #12 | / | NPR Music |
| #12 | / | The A.V. Club |
| #16 | / | The Young Folks |
| #19 | / | The Needle Drop |
| #23 | / | Beats Per Minute |
| #23 | / | The Forty-Five |
More Lists
Please stay on topic. To go off topic, head to the General Chat.
Sign in to comment
Added on: May 4, 2020