Lili Kendall is a singer/songwriter and today I will be reviewing their album which was released on 22/04/2020.
‘all through the night’ builds slowly, with a rising, resonating pulse that merges seamlessly onto Lili Kendall’s phenomenal voice, and since this was my first experience with the artist and the first song on the album I have to say that based on this song alone I have been converted into a fan. I like the synthy beats that back up her powerful vocals, it’s an excellent start to what I feel is going to be a real musical experience.
‘i am my own’ also starts off slow, a slightly more complex and yet still blissfully simple melody flows forward to meet you, it supports Lili’s vocals when she begins to sing, and you get kind of caught up in the track. I discovered a genre a whole back that’s never failed to impress, it’s called ‘Dream pop’ and while I’m not in the habit of suggesting to an artist how they should classify their music this track really reminds me of a lot of the songs I heard under that banner, the same ambient beats that give the whole track a dream-like quality. It’s really interesting and works really well with her voice, which cuts through the ambience and draws you in to it.
‘hallelujah’ has a jangling melody, it has a more energetic tempo and it’s a more confrontational track, it has some bite to it but it all works so well. Honestly this track is so polished that it’s practically perfect, it already sounds like something you’d hear on the radio.
‘third degree love crimes’ slows things down again, but while I really liked the last track this does not let the album down, I’ve said this about artist before but some singers you can just get lost in their voice and that’s the case for Lili, she sings with passion and energy and you feel it, you just stop everything for the duration of the song.
‘closed doors interlude’ has a quirky melody, a little discordant but in a really pleasing way, it’s slower which acts as a great counterpoint to her fast paced vocals. Speaking of which, we get to hear a different side to her voice in this track, one that’s both impressive and engaging. So far there has not been a weak link in this track but this track and the one before it are definitely my personal favourites. I particularly liked the sound bite at the end that gave it a raw and honest feel to it, very conversational and yet really real.
‘lonely empress’ is a truly impressive track, the reverb voices that ease us into the track are interesting and they give way to Lili’s which again just takes over the show. That being said this track had a lot going for it, the percussion added something real good to a track that was already pulling its weight and it’s amazing how despite being relatively simple melodies that they can add up to something so complex and rich.
‘space+time’ just really clicked with me, maybe it was the hook, cause I did really like it but overall his was a really catchy, memorable track, nice use of repetition that didn’t become overused, an amazing backing beat and again that voice that just catches you and insists you listen.
‘raining sins’ opens with gentle, halting notes that seem to suggest raindrops, if that’s the case then it worked really well. It was a nice intro, I did expect because of that opening that the song would be slower but my expectations were nicely subverted. I really enjoyed a lot of the ambient noise in the background on this one.
‘somewhere else’ is another track that is radio ready, it’s so well done, so professional and well produced that I’m surprised to hear that this artist isn’t already some mega famous musician. It just has that quality of someone who has already reached a high point in their career so I’m truly excited to hear where Lili goes from here.
‘love, herself.’ Is not only the final track in the album but the title track as well so it has a lot to live up to especially after what has been a phenomenal album from the artist and it doesn’t let her down, the subdued instrumental opening goes well with her crystal clear vocals, like that throughout the album the backing instrumentals have always supported her voice, never overwhelming her voice, you’d be surprised the amount of times where that isn’t the case.
So that’s what I thought of Lili Kendall’s album ‘love, herself.’ and if you want to check that out then head on over to Spotify. Make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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