Lianne La Havas - Lost & Found

Very few phrases are as loaded with as many mediocre connotations as the term ʻsinger-songwriterʼ. See, I only used it once, and already youʼre losing interest, your eyes slowly glazing over as mundane thoughts of James Blunt politely fill your head in an incredibly boring manner. However, Lianne La Havas is part of a new wave of singer-songwriters who are doing away with the clichés of the mid-noughties and forging their own paths.

Opening with the Willy Mason-featuring ʻNo Room For Doubtʼ, this EP wastes no time in confirming that Lianne La Havas is indeed much more than just another yawnworthy singer-songwriter. Although both the opening track and ʻAgeʼ are built around simplistic, acoustic guitar-led arrangements, theyʼre anything but one-dimensional. The lo-fi production and jazz-influenced chord structures of these two tracks makes them instantly appealing, but after several listens it becomes clear that La Havasʼ songwriting itself is in a league of its own.

However, anybody who has seen her solo acoustic performances may be surprised by the other three tracks on the EP. Although title track ʻLost & Foundʼ doesnʼt feel too far removed from La Havasʼ acoustic songs, the instrumentation is more complex, and the production more developed. Meanwhile, the final two tracks, ʻNight Schoolʼ and Everything Everything cover ʻFinal Formʼ take on a completely different tone. Whereas La Havas is charming and vulnerable throughout the first half of the EP, during ʻNight Schoolʼ she takes on a terrifying role, as she sweetly murmurs “I broke his arms and legs, now heʼs as good as dead, but oh how he still begs.” The excellent reworking of ʻFinal Formʼ meanwhile, demonstrates a completely different side to La Havas, as she comes close to yelling over the trackʼs driving beat and pulsating bass line.

The one flaw of this EP is also, strangely, where its strengths lie. Although it is diverse and proves that Lianne La Havas is far more than a one-trick pony, it also leads to a slight lack of cohesion. Itʼs difficult to know which side of Lianne La Havas is the ʻrealʻ Lianne La Havas - the gentle, acoustic soul chanteuse, or the dark, mysterious femme fatale. One thingʼs for sure though, she is an exciting new breed of singer-songwriter, and ʻLost & Foundʻ is a tantalising taster of what she will almost certainly be capable of in the future.