(label)
17 April 2018 (released)
17 April 2018
Deeper is the eight studio album from singer/songwriter legend Lisa Stansfield, and this new collection of 13 songs takes listeners through numerous styles, from smooth jazzy numbers to full-on disco belters.
Lisa’s deep, powerful vocals are one-of-a-kind, putting her own unique stamp on every track. She effortlessly cruises through hushed, sultry harmonies, into soaring high notes that really pack a punch. With lyrics on love and relationships, there is no doubt that these songs are the stories of a strong, classy woman who knows exactly what she wants out of life.
Album highlights include stomping disco romp Never Ever, the soulful and emotion-filled ballad Hole In My Heart, and lead single of the album Billionaire which includes a sassy vocal line reminiscent to many mid-tempo songwriters of the 90s that I grew up adoring.
Hercules is another stand-out track, with a KT Tunstall-style building instrumental and fun, quirky lyrics. There is something irresistible about Lisa’s little laugh at the end of the track followed by “Got a smoke?” in a deep, sexy tone. It’s great to hear her more playful side amid the more serious numbers.
The smooth, RnB title track Deeper is also a mesmerising and addictive little number with sensual lyrics about falling deeper into a relationship. It’s the kind of track you could put on during a candlelit dinner, somewhere between Marvin Gaye and a Toni Braxton ballad.
A few tracks don’t quite hit the mark, such as Coming Up For Air which blends into the background and becomes a little more like backing music. However, even the more gentle tracks still set a great mood and certainly make for pleasant listening even if they don’t create quite the same impact as the stand-out songs.
Overall, Deeper brings a retro feel to 2018 and fans of soul, jazz, and disco divas will be sure to love it. The one thing that struck me as I was listening is that this is exactly the kind of album that could be played at G-A-Y, right after a Ru Paul megamix. And that is most definitely a good thing.
