English singers have seemingly taken up the R&B/soul mantle more and more over these past few years and have been running away with it with acts like Sampha and Sam Smith. You can now add Jorja Smith that already impressive list of names. Lost & Found has steadily been one of my most anticipated projects ever since first hearing her on Drake’s More Life. She kept her features and output to a minimal but everything she touched left a resounding impact. There’s a deep soulfulness to her voice that seems well beyond her years and she clearly has a phenomenal ear because the production is a fantastic, sultry blend of modern R&B, neo-soul, and surprising injections of hip-hop. It’s all dim and moody but still has this irresistible rhythm that may not have you bouncing, but will have swaying. And her lush vocals envelope you with emotion as she muses about self-discovery, truth, and the society we live in. It’s all brilliant stuff that went above and beyond my already high expectations. Jorja Smith’s debut shows just how wildly talented she is and why she has to potential to be a transformative force in music. A must listen.
So why do we all fall down
If there’s a reason we can stay afloat?
Why do we watch them drown?
We’re too selfish in the lifeboats– “Lifeboats (Freestyle)”
Have you heard Lost & Found? What’d you think of it? Did Jorja Smith live up to her wildly high expectations? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own reactions and ratings for the album.
