Lahai by Sampha | Album Review
the long awaited sophomore album from the nearly reclusive artist
It has been five years since Sampha’s debut with the eclectic Process, a wonderful, electronic, emotional soundscape that burrowed deep within the English artist’s skin, crooning out under the waves of pain that came with the loss of his mother. With a platitude of features under his belt, Sampha looks to follow up his first masterpiece with another in Lahai, named after his grandfather (and his middle name). Rooted in primal human emotion, the futuristic, astronomical beat collections the artist has become so beloved for compiling, carry his indomitable spirit as he explains the world as only his eyes, hands and voice, are capable.
Ever is the case as Sampha traverses through the allegorical lessons of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, as he spirals through self-actualization and grounding realizations of personhood, in which lies the key to connection: light, love, spirit, and perhaps most importantly, love, will catch us in freefall. “Spirit 2.0,” the leading single, as images of elderly couples flash alongside waves crashing upon shores of lighthouses, sets the stage for an album about love, an increasingly complex emotion, made simple in Lahai.
His soft, yet firm vocals lilt through tragedy and masterfully present them as parables. The whispers of harmonization, trilling of violins and concertos of pianos drift behind the listener’s eyes as an electronica buzzes and beeps and spirals, incorporating modern distraction, yet complementing and elevating already raw, unadulterated emotion. Under the clouds of its cover, Lahai spread its wings, leaning into the bird in flight metaphor, as Sampha soars headfirst into introspection.
Seeking redemption through faith on “Only,” and pleads for tenderness on “Inclination Compass,” unrequited love is a requirement of these commandments. The later half of Lahai leans into smoother, more mellow tracks, absent of the frenetic pace we saw in Process, urging the listener to contemplate and observe the world these words take place in. The importance of this recognizance is highlighted in the following tracks.
The “Time Piece” interlude, a French poem that translates to, “Time does not exist/A time machine,” captures the theme of the last third of Lahai. No matter how much the heart yearns and nostalgia aches, it is impossible to go back in time, and thus, the present is ever important no matter how fearfully lingering the future feels.
Even so, there’s beauty in the future, as seen in “Evidence” as Sampha speaks on his child and how angelic the feeling of newborn innocence is evidence enough of the truth in his faith along with the desire to continuously improve as a person. As fleeting as these moments are, as seen with the quick dose of neurotic beats in “Wave Therapy,” it can be quickly replaced with intense self-questioning and the forthcoming desire to dissociate. And the cycle repeats itself.
It feels like Sampha can do no wrong. Beautiful as always and truly one of the most captivating, emotional experiences of the year. There are very few moments I didn’t like (“Suspended” and the end of “Evidence”) but are largely redeemed by how ethereal and emotional the project is.
Rating: 8.6/10
Favorite Tracks: Jonathan L. Seagull, Spirit 2.0, Rose Tint