BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US

Mediocre R&B marred by a voice that is tough to love.

Listening to this record, I get what she is going for. A contemporary R&B album that is full of lyrics about love gone astray, complicated feelings, and frustration.

The main problem I have with this record is that despite the decent production, the stripped back nature of the songs (most of the core ones just being her and a guitar and some piano accompaniment as well) and the passion in her vocals (which I'll address later) is that the songs are just...meh. For an artist's debut album in 2020 to be attempting music in this lane, to me it failed to make any kind of statement we haven't already heard before let alone, in a way that was new and refreshing. The songs themselves left a hollow note in my soul where there should have been resonance.

Her voice is another thing too. She's not a bad singer by any means, she's extremely emotive too which is a plus, my main issue is (whether it's intentional or not) her voice is kinda baby-like in the way she enunciates, and it reaches a pitch that doesn't sit well with my ears. Much in the way someone like Melanie Martinez sings and for me that was a major detractor for me.

Still in the end I didn't feel it was necesarrily a horrible record, just not enough material that stopped me in my tracks; if any, and a singing voice that deterred me more than reeled me in. I would check it out if singer/songwriter tinged R&B with very personal lyrics is your thing, you might identify with it more than I did. I just simply thought it was less than average and could use an extra dose of oomph.