Sampha - LAHAI

We’ve had to wait a little while for Sampha’s follow up to his 2017 Mercury Prize winning debut ‘Process’, but all that anticipating has just served to illuminate a stunning collection from an artist exploring the depths of their sound.

There’s a beautifully elemental quality to ‘Lahai’, named after his paternal grandfather as well as his middle name. It’s a deeply human and evocative record as Sampha reflects on the world and his place within it. Spiritual and questing in nature it’s a record to lose yourself in and equally lift yourself up.

Then there’s that voice. One of the most distinctive and beautiful vocalists in recent memory Sampha is on top tier vocal form as he soars on the anthemic ‘Over’ or sounds increasingly fevered and impassioned on standout ‘Suspended’.

There’s a vivid quality both to the music, rooted in his trusty piano sounds and burnished by all manner of different sonic touchstones from jazz to jungle to distorted hip-hop beats and sounds of traditional African music. There are also guests aplenty like Yaeji or Morgan Simpson of Black Midi, who complement Sampha’s guiding vision

With a six year gap it’s clear Sampha has put everything he has into this album. The sound of a true master at work.