Lace- Liar’s Notebook Review: A Wave of Emotion

Jazz music is some of the original lounge music. From casually relaxing, to upbeat dancing, to heartfelt crooning, the genre is one that is steeped in the power to set a mood. Liar’s Notebook by Lace takes it all a step further by putting vocalist and lyricist Mana Contractor’s heart front and center in this new album. Full of smooth surprises and musical delights, Liar’s Notebook offers more than just a fantastic instrumental arrangement. It takes you on a personal adventure through the mind of Mana Contractor, creating a wholly unique experience. 

The album does not delay in lulling you in with a buttery smooth beat to hit you with an in-your-face “Liar Liar!” The funk in the first track comes through in the first 10 seconds with a bass that flows without heed, guiding the flashy percussion and other delightful sonic surprises perfectly. You’ll find yourself moving the wave of the song without even realizing it, bobbing your head to various taps of the drums and licks of the guitar flowing alongside the groovy bass. By the time the guitar solo hits in the middle of track, you’ll think you were planted right in the front seat at the Jazz club. The charm unfolds in this track perfectly, keeping it smooth throughout with a tantalizing aesthetic that transports you to another world with its dreamy breakdown. 

“Lima” fits a fantastic amount of personality into a bite-sized transition, keeping the flow of the first track while solidifying the heartfelt feel of the album. “Bird” is another fantastically groovy track, but with an emotional vocal performance that doesn’t hesitate to make itself known. A powerful track about pushing forward to move on, as evidenced in lines such as “Free, little bird, or so you think. Be discreet, little bird, hide your fears.” And in the chorus of “Fly to fly, fly away from this life. Fly to your skies, this life lives on in your mind.” The guitar solo at the end of the track is the perfect cherry on top of the track, making it hard to not hit repeat afterwards.

From start to finish, Liar’s Notebook is as smooth of a ride as it is emotional. The smooth beats, funky flare and dreamy aesthetic only serve to add to the emotion and personality of each track. This entire album feels on-point, with the final track feeling like the ribbon on top the warmest musical gift. The strong, harmonic vocals of Mana Contractor are poetic in both performance and lyrical integrity, offering songs that deliver the emotion behind them perfectly. It is a mistake to miss Liar’s Notebook.