On her second studio album, Soul/R&B singer-songwriter Louise Golbey showcases her strongest and most personal recordings to date.
The project kicks off with the “single girl anthem” ‘Renaissance,’ which was released in late 2021 alongside its music video. This track was produced by Linden Grant and features a sample by Aswad.
As the album progresses, Golbey sings about love & heartbreak in songs such as ‘Pure Love,’ co-written with James Chappell, and ‘Stay or Go.’ She then expresses her perspective on the pandemic during ‘The Badebaba Song’ and ‘Don’t Feel Good’ which includes The Script’s Ben Sargeant on bass.
The album features a couple of special guests, including world record-breaking Canadian rapper D.O Gibson’s slick verse on ‘I Give in Easy,’ and long-time friend 3rd Person’s rhyming skills on ‘Roll the Credits.’
The works of Erykah Badu, Lianne La Havas and Bill Withers are just some of the iconic projects that Louise Golbey takes inspiration from on this album.
Louise Golbey is a talented and established musician who has worked to develop an excellent reputation within the UK soul scene. She has garnered support slots for George Benson and Roberta Flack, performing to their audiences of thousands, and has even performed on the o2 Arena stage. She has performed at major festivals such as Glastonbury and worked alongside artists such as Jessie J, Paloma Faith, Katy B, Example, and Ed Sheeran (who is also in one of her early music videos).
Her previous album ‘Novel’ was released in 2015 and the video for the track ‘How It Is’ was nominated for a UK Music Video Award. More recently, Louise featured as the vocalist on the global Mercedes EQS advertisement and she also hosts The Songwriter’s Podcast, in which she interviews award-winning and multi-platinum-selling songwriters including Rob Davis and Eg White.
With a voice that would be just as at home fronting a big band bonanza as it would be on a couple’s private time playlist, the most notable and impressive quality of Louise Golbey’s latest album Renaissance is her show of pure talent and vocal versatility. Even in the first five tracks, she flaunts her voice beautifully, ranging from the concert hall quality of ‘I Give in Easy feat. D.O Gibson,’ to the sensual tonality of ‘Animal,’ to the soulful sway of ‘Don’t Feel Good.’
The only style the record left wanting from me was a higher octane pop-style song, mostly because there is no doubt she would have been amazing at that, too. Though she’s classified as an R&B/soul singer, This album has made me believe that there is not a genre that Golbey couldn’t tackle and tackle well.
The only other critique that this album could be given is the notable lack of features. The instrumentals are well-chosen, the production quality is outstanding, the lyrical composition is terrific, the themes are diverse and relatable, however out of twelve tracks, only two saw the addition of another artist. I would have loved to have sampled a wider variety of Golbey’s ability to collaborate with a more diverse array of musicians.
It is no secret that this miraculous musician will continue to produce high-quality music and is doubtless one to keep your eye on. Don’t believe me? Grab a copy of Renaissance and see for yourself!
‘Renaissance’ is available now via all major platforms.
Connect with Louise Golbey
Leave a Reply