Lahai – Sampha ★★★★

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
2023	Lahai	Sampha	★★★★	85	Hip-Hop	R&B	Neo-Soul

Sampha has been making notable music for a long time. From being the primary vocalist on SBTRKT tracks in 2010 and 11, to all his features with artists like Drake in 2013, Kanye West in 2016, Kendrick Lamar in 2022 and Travis Scott earlier this year, to his piano, backing vocals, production and writing credits with Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Solange and Jessie Ware, it’s kind of amazing that 2023’s Lahai is only Sampha’s second album, and his first in over 6 years. 

Compared to Process — his 2017 debut album that combined some cold, avant garde electronics with heartfelt piano and vocals — Lahai is lighter and has a bit more bounce, even if the formula is similar. It’s not as sentimental or dramatic, and Sampha refines and simplifies the sound a bit, while still maintaining the intricacies in the music’s rhythm and chord progressions. 

From start to finish, the record has an airy vibe and utilizes a nice balance of  lovely piano melodies, heavenly vocals, abstract electronic glitch, fluttering, energized percussion and interesting song structures. 

The opening track “Stereo Colour Cloud” does sound like you’re flying through the clouds on a sunny day. The next three tracks bounce back and forth with strings, arpeggiated melodies and staccato piano rhythms, and sometimes feel like contemporary dance pieces set to vocals.

“Only” feels like it could have been on Process in a good way. “Can’t Go Back” has a cool breakdown with beeps and strings in the middle of the track. “What If You Hypnotise Me?” has, as the name suggests, a hypnotic piano melody that’s one of the album’s true highlights. “Rose Tint” a nice closing track that brings a slightly different flavor to the end of the record. 

While pretty, some of the more piano-heavy, straight forward songs, especially the middle section of the album, blend together a bit. The overall palette and mix of sounds being so consistent throughout admittedly makes it a one-dimensional record.  But there’s beauty in how refined and pure it is, and there are no true missteps or out of place moments. Even if Sampha takes another 6 years to put out his next record, if it’s as good as this one, it’ll be well worth the wait.