Risa Hall - Love is Telepathic

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 15 / 4 / 2018

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Review

We’ve long been smitten by the talents of Risa Hall. Her debut album has already been released a couple of times now under different titles and the tracks that made up Risa’s four-song EP ‘New York Nights’ are featured on her latest album, ‘Love is Telepathic’. We mentioned at the time of its release that the EP left the listener wanting more, so even though it’s taken a while it’s good that we finally have another full-length release from the talented Risa Hall. Hall’s ability to mix genres so seamlessly is but one of her talents. Her previous works have seen Hall take in jazz, blues pop and folk influences and it would appear that on this latest collection Hall is still taking inspiration from a variety of sources to produce her own unique sound. Including four songs that are familiar to those who purchased the ‘New York Nights’ EP is something of a double-edged sword. For those yet to discover Hall’s music it’s obviously a chance to hear some of her best music in the context of an album, so that, therefore, you’re given the opportunity to explore the wide range of her music in one sitting. For those that are already familiar with the EP there is the tendency, as they are already acquainted with the songs, to naturally gravitate towards those songs. Thankfully it doesn’t take long, as with all Hall’s music to date, for the new songs on this album to shine and reveal their beauty. In fact some of the new songs such as ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ are easily some of the most immediately appealing songs Hall has so far released. Apart from having a powerful voice that is suited to so many different genres and while not sounding even remotely like any other singer except for Risa Hall not because of any idiosyncratic tendencies but simply because Hall possesses a warm, inviting voice that is difficult to ignore and not to love, she also has a talent for writing catchy melodies which hit the spot on the very first listen. This song, one of Hall’s more poppier yet sensitive offerings, takes just one play to get under the listener's skin ; it will be swimming around your head for the rest of the day. The opening song, ‘You Became My Eyes’, explores Hall's rockier side, although the song also displays her obvious love of the theatre and musicals while also revealing that she’s not afraid to mix in a little subdued funk into the mix. The song, like much of Hall’s music, straddles so many differing genres that the result really should be an unlistenable mess, which it no doubt would be in lesser talented hands, but Hall pulls it off and makes it essential listening drawing you in and holding you tight for the duration of the song, waiting and wondering where the song is going to go next. ‘Soundtrack to My Life’ is also familiar being lifted as a single some time back, and we can only reiterate how we felt at the time; the song is pure class. It has, as predicted, lost none of its charm through repeated plays and once again displays that Hall has grasped what makes a good song great; as we mentioned then the song sounds like it was the product of the Brill Building era albeit with a little of Hall’s musical influences thrown in for good measure. ‘Inconsistently Consistent’ finds Hall exploring her rockier side once more, riffing guitars and Hall showing off her powerful vocals the song is, as usual, instantly appealing, catchy and hook-filled while not being teeth-rotting. It has a kind of 80's vibe to it. That, on this album, it’s followed by a track from the ‘New York Nights’ EP, ‘Air Of Availability’, only accentuates the versatility that Hall commands. Victoria Martin’s flute lends a folky, almost eerie vibe to the song, Hall's vocals are simply remarkable and the song in less than five minutes covers more ground than most artists do over a whole album. ‘Sixth Sense’ follows and is loosely in the same vein, a folky almost dream-like beginning gives way to another catchy chorus that ups the tempo before reverting back into folk mode. It’s another stunning piece of work from this talented artist. ‘Kids on Victoria Avenue’ has long been a favourite. It’s a rare occasion when another vocalist comes to mind while listening to Risa Hall but visions of Chrissie Hynde flash up on this uplifting tale of kids making music on the street. It’s a beautiful sentiment, perfectly performed and leaves the listener feeling good. as such is the power of the music and words. The closing ‘Ethereal Waters’ finds Hall back in the same territory as ‘Air of Availability’. It’s not just the use of the flute but the overall feel of the song. There’s an uneasiness created around the song a kind of unsettling beauty that pulls the listener in. It really is a work of art and if pushed to recommend just one Risa Hall song to newcomers it would have to be this one. While it is not representative of her entire catalogue (no one song is as Hall covers so much ground), it does confirm that Hall is an artist who is not afraid to take risks with her music and if you are not moved by the whole performance on this song then the chances are you are not moved by anything at all. It’s a stunning end to a diverse yet compelling album. It’s not difficult to check out Risa Hall’s music. She is there on all the usual sites as are many artists in these times but very few deserve to be heard like Risa Hall does. Risa Hall is truly in a class of her own.

Track Listing:-

1 You Became My Eyes
2 Soundtrack to My Life
3 Inconsistently Consistent
4 Air of Availability
5 Sixth Sense
6 Easy Come, Easy Go
7 Kids on Victoria Avenue
8 New York Nights
9 Ethereal Waters

Band Links:-

http://risahall.com/
https://twitter.com/risahall
https://www.facebook.com/RisaHall/