Sam de la Haye
Artist: Sam de la Haye
Album: England
OUT NOW
Rating: 4/5
Sam de la Haye is the latest artist from the BRIT school to emerge as she releases her debut album England this week.
The singer- songwriter has developed a rather impressive following in recent years with the likes of Ray Davies and Steve Cropper as just a couple of her admirers.
And it is not hard to see why as she delivered a really heart-felt, emotional and beautiful album as she mixes her soulful and haunting vocals with her flawless piano playing.
Sam has honed her craft regularly playing live at the Savoy Hotel and it really shows with this record as she is an assured and confident performer.
The Mannequin is the opening track on the album and Sam sings about finding yourself and a place where you belong.
And this track really sets the tone for the rest of the album as this is a collection of really pure feeling tracks - producer Tom Bidwell has gone light on the production.
This works really well as Sam’s vocals are allowed to soar on every track as she is supported by the piano as well as some beautiful strings throughout.
Throughout the album Sam sings about love, loss and loneliness and there is really personal feel to every lyric that she sings
There is a bit of a darker feel to The Affair as Sam sings about an affair with a married man, this perhaps the strongest tracks on the album.
The deep strings on the track really do elevate this song to something more powerful then the rest of the tracks on the album.
That is fabulously contrasted with the very next track Itsy Bitsy as a jazz sound kicks off and Sam shows off a more sultry sound to her vocals.
This track really shows off her vocal versatility as it is unlike anything else on the album
England is an album that has been a long time in the working for Sam de la Haye and I hope that her vocal and piano playing ability really achieve the success that they both superb as this really is a great record.
Sam de la Haye - England it out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw