“Lahai” is Sampha’s masterful fusion of electronic and R&B elements
“Lahai” cover art.
After proving his talent once again on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and UTOPIA by Travis Scott, English artist Sampha comes back with “Lahai”. Sampha released his debut album “Process” in 2017, which went on to earn the Mercury Prize, which is annually awarded to the best album released in the UK or Ireland. Following his initial accomplishments, he established a large and supportive fanbase similar to the likes of Drake or Solange fans, and made a name for himself in the electronic soul and R&B genre.
Whereas “Process” was a record filled with anguish, “Lahai” leans into a more open headspace.
“Dancing Circles'' is a jagged song, almost imitating madness. Throughout the song, two piano chords are fighting back and forth with one another. Sampha sings, “Movin’ like creatures / Runnin’ off adrenaline”, and he implements the perfect way to induce the feeling of an energy rush.
This same vigor follows in “Suspended”, with a similar attack from the piano. The urgent sound from the keys anticipate something more. They almost feel unsettling. Come the chorus, everything feels lifted (you could even say suspended), further demonstrating that Sampha will always make the most lush sonic landscapes that tie everything together.
Songs like “Jonathan L. Seagull” embrace a more psychedelic feeling. Sampha used this track to delve into a universe of experimental sounds, which prove to fit perfectly into this album. While the song begins mellow, a drum track picks up in the latter half. The track is given more life, only to fade back out with a chorus of female voices.
Sampha has developed his repertoire through sadness, as heard on Process, but Lahai is driven by a different energy. “Inclination Compass (Tenderness)” is just how it sounds; tender. Its dreamy production mixed with the songwriter's buttery vocals set the tone of softness that his fans will immediately recognize.
“Can’t Go Back” is a chant that tells the artist to slow down. Again, the track behind his vocals induce a feeling of stress or eagerness. This could possibly represent the constant discomfort as we wait for the future, instead of the peace that comes with intentionally being in the present. The outro repeatedly says, “Can’t go back, you can move forward slower”, as a reminder to indulge in the joys of today.
“What If You Hypnotise Me?” is a beautiful summation of not only the album, but the artist’s characteristics. Sampha shares that he wrote the song about the idea of being hypnotized rather than going through traditional therapy. He sings, “Please articulate my anguish / Please explain to me why these raindrops accompany better times”, as an explanation that speech and verbal therapy is important to him. However, if he could be hypnotized, “peace would find me”. The song's gorgeous outro, sung by Léa Sen, emulates a hypnosis itself, tying the whole piece together.
From cover to cover, Lahai is an album that proves that life imitates art, as Sampha is getting more confident and experimental in his music. The stylistic contrasts, both regarding his two albums, as well as within Lahai itself, are beautiful and complex. Sampha creates a beautiful fusion of electronic and R&B elements, creating an album that is sonically futuristic, yet timeless.