Lisala
Get It
Anonka Records
For folks looking for alternatives to the pop/R&B scene when Goapele’s not enough, Lisala’s Get It is here. Like the aforementioned songstress, Lisala delivers a very compelling debut that’s worth repeated listening. She also layers her multifaceted voice into swirling, hypnotic tapestries. But that is where the comparisons end (after all, I’m not writing a Goapele review).
Lisala does add a unique talent to R&B that is gladly welcome. She combines her elastic voice with her own very idiosyncratic beats. The end result is a very new soul ride well worth taking. Her voice is somewhere between Chaka Khan and SWV: a nasally, plaintive voice that can delve deep into heartache (“At All Times” and “Last Tear”), but is best showcased on the minimal, electro hi-hat track “Apple Pie,” a master stroke. And much like Spacek (but much more accessible), Lisala brings a quirky, electronic sound to R&B that lays outside neo-soul cliché and urban radio regurgitations. Songs like “Watching Me,” “Have to Say” and “Lie to Me” are definitely R&B with a fresh perspective that is sorely lacking on today’s radio dial. Get It is not hard to grasp, and is a delight to behold. One should certainly look forward to more from Lisala.
Lisala: http://www.lisala.com
