Sampha Lahai Sisay: a producer, a vocalist, a songwriter, a father, a husband, a human. A man from South London with many talents, it can be hard to categorize this musician’s genre. Sitting at age 34, Sampha delivers to us a concept album, Lahai, bringing us into his trials and strife in a bright and airy matter. In this 2023 release, Sampha confronts his recurring thoughts of time, love, and spirituality, along with his difficulties in chasing the obligated answers within his relationship. Launching this album with experimental space and ethereal sounds combined with his foundational piano skills, this album brings the listener on a journey to challenge the concept of time. In an attempt to characterize time, Sampha faces the dreadful abstraction head-on to which many of us can connect our own experiences to.
Historically, Sampha has brought to the table a form of introspection that is increasingly rewarding as you dig deeper into it. His debut album, Process, was littered with glistening chimes and piano-heavy exhibits of his magical skill set, as seen on the first track in “Plastic 100C.” Tracks like “No One Knows Me (Like the Piano)” and “Kora Sings” characterized the sorrowful loss of his mother – a vulnerable tear-jerking look into Sampha’s process of grief. “Under” and “Reverse Faults” were two gems produced by the project, producing sounds of riverbed jitters that are difficult to assign a specific genre to. Since then, Sampha has been featured by notable artists, lending his distinct vocals to tracks such as in Drake’s “4422” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Father Time.” The next installation in his discography coming seven years after the debut was a transition into a new era of sounds for the seasoned musician.
He dawns the album with “Stereo Cloud Color,” a colorful trill abrupted by another voice repeating phrases of “time misuse/life issues.” Sampha lays out the “Subjects mysterious like time and love” to ground us with the two main ideas this album will call into question. An additional idea is introduced by his wife’s admission, however, in the form of spirituality. Sampha finds what spirit means to him through his family, seen in the digital sensory experience of his short lived song “Satellite Business.” The clever ending of the song “Thinking, Maybe there’s no ends / Maybe just infinity / Maybe no beginnings / Maybe just bridges” embodies the ever-lasting flow of change and transitioning in life, whether through adversity in relationships, life choices, or ones’ relationship in spirituality.
The turmoil Sampha faces throughout the album seems to embody the aspects of anxiety creating tension in his relationships. “What If You Hypnotise Me?” addresses the disturbances he experiences with his inability to interpret and label his anxieties. The franticness in the faster-paced drums and rapid ascension and descension on the piano creates a flurry of loss and confusion. Sampha begs to the unknown source of spirit, embodied by Léa Sen, to hypnotise his constant anxious thoughts causing turbulence. “Dancing Circles,” my favorite track of the project, as he reflects upon the early stages in his love that he yearns towards; Discomfort settles as the comforting times in early love are lost to time. Sampha calls upon his memories for the ideal solution in “Inclination Compass,” believing their animosities could be restored through tenderness. His attempts to heal are expressed to be held back as a byproduct of himself. Littered throughout the tracks, Sampha’s anxieties seem to creep in, even at the high points of his relationship with partner, showing the less desirable aspects of love in the long term.
Several tracks turn to spirituality as the potential answer for his struggles. “Suspended” puts into words the feelings he has toward his wife. In the live concert, he suspends his voice and arms to indicate the direction of his feelings. Sampha states what spirit means to him directly in “Spirit 2.0,” which contains a powerful chorus professing the elements of life that have swept him off his feet. In concert, he repeats the line “Love will catch you,” to emphasize the weight his family holds in his heart. “Evidence” proves to us his elegant, prayerful wife has guided him to a perspective of spirituality and trust through the lens of experience. Additionally, his daughter, “little one,” causes Sampha to further put trust into the reality of his spirituality. These songs sum up the typical human condition with concepts we all face at some points of our lives; the production of calm drumming, light strumming, and smooth bass lines prompted the clarity of peace that spirit can bring.
Sampha’s song “Jonathon L. Seagull” is an allusion to the popular fable, in which a seagull embraces his passion of flight and overcomes failing to believe in himself. The moral of the allegory conveys the importance of perseverance despite all odds. “Seasons come, seasons cry, seasons grow and seasons die,” is a line that sums up the transitions between phases of love, similar to the cyclical fashion of the four seasons. His reflection on his shortcomings allow him to see what’s needed in order to grow; that to be resilient and patient with oneself is to be vulnerable enough to admit to his own mistakes. This song is a powerful representation of reflection and closure, coming to give grace to each other in a peaceful yet strengthened tone.
In the heat of it all, there is a hopeful outlook that brings the album to a close. The transition into Léa San’s verse in “What if you Hypnotise me?” shifts the instrumentals from quick and frantic to calm and collective, alleviating the pain and tension rising throughout the album. Léa Sen proposes that Sampha is focusing on all the aspects of himself that are unnecessary, leading him to realize the answers are to be patient and to be appreciative. The final track ends on a high note, using a freshly pleasant composition of piano and bells to signal the conclusion of this albums’ healing process: the ones who keep him grounded in his spirituality are what he lives for. Sampha seems to be more present and in the moment with the loved ones around him in “Rose Tint,” making his recurring thoughts seem a lot less demanding than before.
A year after release, Sampha goes on tour to perform Lahai to the world. He puts out the deluxe as well, containing jazzy retakes of the songs “Dancing Circles” and “Satellite Business”—adding noteworthy twists like the bass line to allow the bridges to shine through, and a self-assured confident verse from Little Simz. An added song, “Re-Entry,” serves to be a sensory experience of pure pleasure, in which he asks God to re-enter his life to remove some burden in his struggles. These enchanting sounds were leveled up in live performance with an entire band backing him up, representing the connectedness in music he embraces. His aura of tranquility and kindness left a lingering sense of buoyancy amongst the crowd, broadcasting an exceptional performance of artistry.
The project was a beautiful reflection to be written, produced, and performed by Sampha. His vocals alone are a musical element that catches the attention of anyone listening, and his accumulation of musical experience with beautiful piano and vocal performances shows that this album is an audible masterpiece. In the year since my initial review of the album, I have come to realize how wrong I was in analyzing the content; the project is not a coping of a lost relationship, rather the downsides and hardships that accompany long-term love. In my own relationship, I have come to experience difficulties and miscommunications that lead to tension—through these clashes, however, we come to resolve our differences and unite with a better understanding of ourselves and each other. To that I say “Love will catch you” is the most important line Sampha shares with us, as love at an early age has transformed my life in a way I am forever grateful for. With the project ending on a positive note, Sampha has shared a solutive perspective resonating acceptance and content within the human experience.
