Alessia Cara returns with ‘Love & Hyperbole’

On Valentine’s Day, Alessia Cara releases ‘Love & Hyperbole’, her fourth full-length album in which she explores all facets of love and falling in love.

This project is a blend of jazz influenced arrangements and contemporary pop, occasionally accompanied by keys and horns. This jazzy influence can particularly be heard in ‘Dead Man’, the album’s second single and third track of the record, where Alessia Cara discusses emotional distance and past relationships that left a lasting impression. With a jazz orchestra playing an instrumental bridge that transports us to the 1910’s, the song begins slowly, grows and then erupts. 

‘Go Outside!’ is a drum-heavy jam, with harmonies and a few keys that captures a time where she felt she was isolated from the world but managed to overcome it.

The eighth track, ‘(Isn't It) Obvious’ features a percussion groove, and a few subtle harmonies that enhance the lead vocal. The Grammy-winning artist sings on the power of love and how it can overcome uncertainty and distance. Unexpectedly, she is not alone on this song since at the end of the record John Mayer joins her to play a guitar solo that brilliantly accentuates Alessia Cara’s vocals. "As I was coming up with the lyrics I was pulling a lot of inspiration from singer/songwriters like John Mayer, so it’s mind-blowing to me that he ended up actually playing on the song" she said on the track.

‘Nighttime Thing’ enters and somewhat alters the record’s overall tone. This time the 28-year old artist offers us a straightforward pop song including strings. When listening to it, you can notice certain Sabrina Carpenter influences such as in the instrumental or the chorus, “I think I like you like that”. This demonstrates Alessia Cara’s adaptability and her ability to be and do anything she desires. The same is true with ‘Fire’ as we are led on a rock ballad about new beginnings and falling in love with piano and guitar.

The Toronto-based musician summoned a live band to the studio to record the album track by track, which is why these 14 tunes feel so real or alive. It’s noticeable in acoustic jam ‘Feels Right’ or in the closer ‘Clearly’ where you can hear the guitarist’s fingers moving across the guitar strings, for instance.

Overall ‘Love & Hyperbole’ shows how more confident and more mature Alessia has become as an artist. And you will be able to experience this growth live as the songstress has announced an international tour starting in April.

Lyndsia Alexandre-Alexis

@lynds.shoots

Image: ‘Love & Hyperbole’ Official Album Cover

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