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Laura Mvula – She (2012) 8.00/10
RCA
Despite Laura Mvula having the perfect voice for a typical jazzy soul song, this new songstress floats up from the pack of booming singer songwriters the British isles have borne these past years. The task might not have been so easy given how her voice harks back to the ubiquitous Amy’s. However her first EP She doesn’t settle for expected soul arrangements and walks down more an old-fashion glamorous acoustic path fraught with bells, violins, harps and choruses.
The first and eponymous track rings out with delicate muffled bells bringing forth Laura’s graceful and straightforward voice which alternates with an aerial chorus. The lead vocals then progressively overlay the chorus before growing into a full fledged round as the percussions pick up, whisking the listener up into an acoustic whirlwind.
“Like The Morning Dew” confirms that Mvula clearly has a knack for singing in rounds. Rain drop piano notes open the track and it grows, gaining somewhat of a swagger bringing to mind as a slow Kate Nash song- spiced up with a soldierly snare drum.
“Like The Morning Dew” strides in with a glorious harp and violins – conjuring up somewhat of a Disney scene featuring a maiden dilly-dallying gracefully in the woods. The cliché is however qualified by the singer’s voice which rings out with an unassuming tone, breathy and jazzy. This slow strolling ballad-like song has the glamour of an old musical.
Although “Jump Right Out Again” is just as much of an enjoyable song, it fails to clearly distinguish itself from the previous one- harps and bells turn into somewhat of a redundant trademark. However, this fourth and last track lets us peep at a more soul-sounding – and promising- Laura Mvula.
