Love is a complex emotion. It can empower us in its best moments, and leave us hopelessly lost in its worst. The intensity of these feelings can’t be denied, however, and Lyia Meta’s latest release explores these extremes. “Always You” is a collection of stories about love, which starts off with the title track.
“Always You” starts with the deep, sensual vocals of Lyia Meta that grabs your attention as it softly caresses the listener down into the soft pianos. The keys dance with the violins that cradle them, weaving them together with the vocals. The light percussion props the vocals up in the perfect ways, allowing the alluring voice of Lyia Meta to lull you into a comfortable mood. Lines such as “we step as one as we climb the ladder. Yesterday, and today, and forever after” and the chorus bring you closer to the heart of the artist and the deep love she has for her lover. It makes “Always You” the perfect setup for this intimate album.
The deep bass and dramatic pianos of “For You” are the perfect backdrop of the questions of desperation that Lyia Meta asks. The track puts Meta’s voice front and center, showing off her powerful voice like no other track before it. This power is felt in lines such as “don’t you realize that the tears I cry are for you?” And “are you askin’ yourself how, we can find love again?” With a dramatic instrumental aesthetic, “For You” is a stand-out track on the album because of Lyia Meta’s raw vocal power.
The groovy “Savor Me” feels like the perfect follow-up to “For You.” The track keeps the high energy of the last track, but transforms it into a sunny and playful beat. The sensual undertones work well with the equally tantalizing vocals of Lyia Meta. Lines such as “getting to know you, a delightful game. A perfect mornin’, starting to the day” and the chorus convey the playful mood of the track perfectly and a groovy guitar solo around the 2-minute mark nails the laid-back vibe of the track. It all adds up to make “Savor Me” another stand-out track to make it and “For You” a block you simply can’t skip on repeat listens.
The deep saxophones that lead you into “My Dream Lover” help bring back the lounge aesthetic from the first half of the album. The groovy bass cradles the rest of the instrumentals, allowing them to swell as the voice of Lyia Meta commands the track. From the top, lines such as “a scribbled note, or somethin’ more” lead off her story with her signature vocal power with others such as “love is never the way it seems” removes all doubts of the emotional core behind. The tale of a dreamy lover after a night out feels strangely cathartic after the ride that is “Always You.”
“Always You” is an intimate look at the heart of the vocalist. From start to finish, Lyia Meta’s emotions are on full display. The love story the album tells is catapulted to the stars by the strong, sensual vocals that make it impossible to not feel every emotion at the core of each track. While the jazzy, lounge-style instrumentals that dominate tracks such as “For You” and “It’s Up To You” may not be for everyone, they do a good job of making the emotional core of the album dramatic and personal. If you’re looking for a good love story or an album that has a ton of heart, “Always You” is worth checking out.
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