I am a sucker for any British soul songstress with a wicked sense of style, and so I am in all types of love with Lianne La Havas. It’s not just her penchant for conservative blouses paired with a bright statement accessory, or her natural hair– her voice is all that is right about contemporary soul-folk music. She’s neo-neo-soul, like a younger, bubblegum-loving Jill Scott, and she puts a light spin on the soul music that raised me in the 1990’s.
Lianne was named a BBC Sound of 2012 Artist, and she seems poised for great things. Her video for the song “Forget” was just released (it appears on an EP of the same name) and it’s a fun, vintage-soul-inspired joint about a tumultuous relationship. In it, Lianne croons, “Forget/all the words that let you break my heart /Forget/that I’m the person tearing you apart.”
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrdfvBVaA8 425×344]She also boasts a gorgeous duet with Willy Mason (“No Room For Doubt”) that might just break your heart, and she is absolutely magnificent live. Go ahead, I dare you to not get chills at any point during this performance:
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52PcuxWO_V4 425×344]If you’re ready to fall in love with Lianne, check out her three EPs: Lost & Found (2011), Forget (2012), and Live In L.A. (pictured above), which is available for free download on iTunes or her website.
