Lyia Meta – ‘Always You’ [Album Review]

Singer-songwriter Lyia Meta’s upcoming new album, Always You, finds the artist shifting direction, delving into the lush, musical world of jazz-pop. Always You will drop on June 16.

Meta explains, “In my entire career as a live circuit performer and an artist, I have found that being true to myself and my influences is what makes me the artist I am proud to be. With the album ‘Always You,’ the story continues as I attempt to retell the words written by songwriter Denise Dimin through my own experiences and emotions.”

With her rare contralto voice, akin to Annie Lennox, Amy Winehouse, and Nina Simone, on Always You, Meta utilizes her sumptuous vocals to unveil a collection of songs about love.

The first sound heard on the opener, the title track, is a soft, gleaming guitar, followed immediately by Meta’s smokey tones, tender and quixotic, revealing silky-smooth nuances of cashmere surfaces. The drift and flow of the rhythm infuse the tune with gentle, swaying layers, harking back to another era.

Entry points include the plush, rolling washes of “Never Enough Time,” conjuring up suggestions of Peggy Lee, only more opulent, with its low-slung buoyancy and delicious brass flavours.

For some reason, “For You” recalls a contralto version of Adele because of the melody’s dark, sad tinctures blended with hints of modern classical pop savours. It’s the type of song ideally suited for the title song of a James Bond movie – at once seductive and ruthless.

Lyia Meta

The final track, “My Dream Lover,” floats and glides on creamy undulating colours, highlighted by a subdued, evocative saxophone. Meta’s exquisite phrasing gives the lyrics sensuous hills and valleys, enhancing the words with eloquent sonic articulation.

Taking herself out of her stylistic comfort zone with Always You, Lyia Meta conveys the feeling and beguiling mystery of love.

Always You Track Listing:

1. Always You
2. Never Enough Time
3. It’s Up To You
4. For You
5. Savor Me
6. As We Throw Caution to the Wind
7. To Know What It’s Like
8. My Dream Lover

Run Time: 33:48
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Record Label: Independent