Album Review: Sampha Reveals How To “Process” Pain Into Creativity
There is no denying that Sampha is rightfully hailed for his pioneering skills. His mashing of soul with electro is not new to the music sphere, but the freshness of his creativity and rawness of his pain has distinguished him from musician into artist. His new album Process comes out this February 3, and its smooth brilliance will leave listeners eager to join the “Samphites”, or rather my name for his fan following.
For long, Sampha has been praised and requested by fellow creative geniuses such as, Solange Knowles and Frank Ocean, who see in him as an equal philosopher. To Sampha, music is like Pandora’s box, to which his lyrics question whether its confined spirits should be released or if they are actually held within? Process is swirling with the spirits of grief, self-doubt, and self-deprecation. The South Londoner is revelatory in the woes of his newfound admirers, particularly the anxiety to measure up to their dreams of him as seen in, “Reverse Faults” and “What Shouldn’t I Be”. The greatness of Sampha is that he can make you feel his sentiments to the purest extent. It is as if he captures emotions in bottles and releases them unto his synths. In “No One Knows Me Like My Piano” Sampha has completely captivated the essence of loneliness and grief. His mother having passed from cancer, Process is a record of musical catharsis, and his exploration over how to move on with life when the one that taught you how to live has passed on.
Death is devastating, and those that have suffered from life’s cruelest common loss understand the confusion that stirs when you lose someone who made you feel alive. Sampha being an ambitious young man with a desire for love “Under” and a curiosity to have his spirit explored by his relationships “Take Me Inside”, has clearly written Process to be reflective of the new choices and routines we commit to rebuild ourselves. Yet, Sampha’s is not only rebuilding from his mother’s loss but also the gains of fame (Plastic 100 ℃). As he climbs up the music industry ladder, he wants to assure the integrity and humility his mother gave him is not lost, which is the most noble initiative to have and write about in words. Lyrically, Sampha can soar, but vocally he can fly. He has one of the best, most distinctive voices currently in the music industry, and has an uncanny ability to make his sentiments pour out of his vocals like wine unto a glass.
Process feels like another deeply gratifying assertion that Sampha can sing. His range may not be the widest, yet he proves that its not how many notes you can hit, but how many you can emote. He never leaves a word without a thought lingering or an intimate meaning standing behind it to be caught by listeners. As he scales his rich set of tones and pitches, you understand why he is so playful with his electro beats and synths. He needs a sound that is a vast and futuristic as him. Sampha has already been recognize as a a singer to watch and the future of radio, in part, because his instrumentals sound like the way lover letters will be written in 2050. Even when separated by his vocals, his rhythms can speak worlds and wonders on their own. Thus, when you layer his vocals and intimate anecdotes over the music, you receive a full sensory experience that is beautifully melancholic and can only be described as a Process. To Buy Process On February 3 and Learn More About Sampha Click Here.
