Lewis Capaldi releases sophomore album "Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent"
On his sophomore effort Lewis Capaldi returns to the formula that spurred him to headlining festivals in Europe and abroad after his debut album. Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent contains 12 tracks with every song running three minutes and change. It is a tightly produced pop record that delivers common messages of heartbreak but with a genuine passion often coming through in Capaldi’s dramatic vocal range. The album is a bit, to put it plainly, happier than Capaldi’s first work. Do not fret, the Glaswegian mixes in a few tear-jerkers as well.
The lead single “Forget Me” has been on radio rotation for months however it did not shatter charts stateside in the same way as Capaldi’s previous singles. It provides a bouncy, catchy tune to kick off the album. Unlike most of Capaldi’s canon, the song leans more towards the fuller, joyous side of the pop spectrum. Nothing seems strikingly memorable about the song, yet it is hard to remove the melody from your head. A humorously fitting feeling given the song’s title. “Forget Me” was co-produced by Michael Pollack who produced Miley Cyrus’s smash hit “Flowers”.
One of the strong points of the album comes when Capaldi returns to his gut-wrenching heartbreak roots on “Wish You the Best”. He hits right to the core of a place any person with experience of heartbreak once was. The song encapsulates those last moments when you move from hanging on to what once was as the person you loved is already far ahead. Capaldi belts out the chorus including the line “And when I said we could be friends / I guess I lied”. It is a useless proposition, yet our brain easily tricks us thinking into the possibility of staying friends with one we loved, but as Capaldi writes, it is not that easy.
Also, go watch the music video for “Wish You the Best” and try not to cry, I dare you.
Capaldi gets a writing assist from Ed Sheeran on “Pointless”. It is a beautiful love song. However, the promotional clips Capaldi played acoustically of the song seem to hit harder than the studio version. The beauty of the lyrics centering around an impassioned praise for someone resonated more behind the bareness of a piano and Capaldi’s voice. Capaldi again finds himself at his most powerful when wailing on a heartbreaking ballad. Except this time, it is about returning love while still in love instead of one who has already moved on. The soaring chorus is one of the album’s strongest climaxes. Albeit a different point of view, the verses elicit notes of Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man”.
Much of the album sticks to the script Capaldi knows how to execute and shows there is room for experimentation in his future. Each song stands on their own yet, some end up meshing together when played back-to-back. Every song is a pleasurable listen but seem a little safe when packaged as a whole.
“The Pretender” stands out lyrically as it is more about Capaldi himself and not his relationships with others. The song structure and melodically is reminiscent of Dermot Kennedy. Capaldi sings “I know I’m no good at being who I am away from the light”, expresses a conflict Capaldi faces dealing with fame. He details his struggle with imposter syndrome, a common theme seen on sophomore albums after an artist rises in the industry. Vulnerable writing on this track offers a rare look into his head rather than his heart.
“Leave Me Slowly” stands out sonically. Produced by the megahit, mastermind Max Martin, Capaldi throws out his usual piano-driven melodies for a song that tries to be a modern Purple Rain. The electric guitar solo breaks out halfway through the song and is the only moment where Capaldi’s voice is not at the forefront of a song on the album. It offers a nice change of pace and maybe hints at new sounds Capaldi may play with in his future.
The album ends with “How I’m Feeling Now”, which was co-written by Tobias Jesso Jr., a frequent Adele collaborator. And Capaldi fits right in the style. Accompanied by a simple strummed rhythm from an acoustic guitar and soothing strings, Capaldi’s voice flourishes to end the album on a high note.
It may provide slightly less moments you can belt out in your car while crying about your ex than his first album but, Capaldi returns with a strong effort on Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. It will be interesting to see where Capaldi goes next and if he mixes in some of his self-effacing and flat-out hilarious personality into more of his writing moving forward. Or maybe he just pivots to stand-up comedy, which I am here for.