Off the back of her powerfully evocative single “Make It Out Here Alive”, Cindy-Louise has dropped a ballad-filled debut titled Humanity, and it’s every bit as personal as it is touching.
Opener “Stay A While” is an intimate pledge, as Cindy-Louise asks a loved one, “Hold me close and don’t let go/cause I’m still scared” over a soothing piano arrangement and tender strings.
Much of the album carries on in this way, as lulled keys form the backbone to Cindy-Louise’s high-powered vocals – the album’s centre point, if not the best thing about Humanity. Cindy-Louise knows the capabilities of her voice, expressing herself in ways both intimate and strong, soft and intense.
However I can’t overlook certain production choices on this record that seem to be misguided. “The Mask” has a dull clap-rhythm and this weirdly ominous blues guitar melody, neither of which seem particularly inspired, while “We Have The Power” has more of a camp sing-along vibe to it than the deeply emotional sensation other tracks achieve.
But where these tracks fails to excite, others make up for in genuine musicality, testament to Cindy-Louise’s deeply rooted talent for vulnerable, yet empowering song writing.
