The best way to describe Labi Siffre is by saying that he is the most famous artist you have never heard of. This might not make any sense to you, so allow me to explain. Sampling and hip-hop have practically become a package deal; hip-hop would not be where it is without sampling and sampling would not exist without hip-hop. Now, what does this have to do with Mr. Siffre? Well, the songs that Siffre has been sampled in have become staples in the world of hip-hop. Just to name two, he was sampled in “I Wonder” by Kanye West and “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem. It is thanks to Kanye’s sample of “My Song”, used in “I Wonder”, that introduced me to the beautiful album that is Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying by Labi Siffre.
There truly is no other way to describe this album other than beautiful; the arrangement of each instrument compliments and plays off one another in perfect harmony, not to mention Siffre’s angelic voice. Siffre opens the album on a fully acapella track, “Saved”, introducing the man behind the project at the forefront. This works in a very unique way, where it is able to set the tone of this album perfectly while not following the structure of any of its fellow tracks in the slightest. Whereas most other tracks include a wide range of instruments, notably guitars, drums, piano, string sections, and bass, “Saved” focuses on none other than Siffre himself. While normally this would not work and cause the album to feel inconsistent to start, this is not the case on this album. Siffre’s voice perfectly matches the tone the instrumentation of the next track follows, which is none other than “Cannock Chase”, the best track on the album. Working mostly as a way to display Siffre’s masterful acoustic prowess, “Cannock Chase” works as a way to encapsulate the entire album into four minutes and six seconds. The soothing acoustic finger-picking layered on by the incredible bass line backing the track work in perfect euphony; not to mention the incredible singing being performed by Siffre. The faint sound of drums in the background of the track does not truly work as the percussion of the track, leaving that role to the strings themselves. It is as captivating as it is interesting, allowing those who dive deep and those who stick to the shallow end to walk away very satisfied.
Most of the album follows this string-driven instrumentation, but on certain tracks, other instruments are given the spotlight. For example, take none other than the easily recognizable “My Song”, where the piano and the drums are at the forefront and excel more than any other instrument combination on the album. I have long believed that the piano and the drums are the two best instruments to put next to each other, and this song only furthers my point. The recurring string section also plays a pivotal role in this song, not to mention the beautiful lyrics and vocal performance by Siffre. Then there’s the closing track “Come on Michael” where a new instrument is given the keys, that instrument is none other than the organ. A very interesting dynamic, especially with how production was handled, notably at the pre-verse with a new layer of both organ and vocals being added every few seconds. This works very well with Siffre’s voice and surprisingly fits very well into the album. However, it is the last track on the album, which brings me to my next point.
The structuring of this album is fantastic to start but hits a bit of a speedbump towards the end. “Hotel Room Song”, for example, is a very fun and playful song and works within the album, just simply not where it is placed. The tone of the song would work well if it followed or preluded the tracks “It Must Be Love” and “Gimme Some More”, two songs that follow the same instrumental ideals and tones. Instead, “Hotel Room Song” is stuck between arguably the two most heartfelt and slowest songs on the album with “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” and “My Song.” The biggest problem within the structuring, however, is with the closing track. The opening and closing tracks are the two most vital songs on the entire album when it comes to structuring. They nailed it, hit it out of the park with the opening track “Saved”, but sadly, “Come on Michael” simply is not a closing track to an album. It is a fine song, a good song even, but it does not some up the album and leave the album on a conclusive note as a closer should. This causes the album to end rather abruptly, resulting in an awkward finale to an otherwise incredible record. Tracks like “My Song”, “‘Til Forever”, and “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” would have all been great ways to end the album, but unfortunately that is not the way the album was constructed. For this to be the album’s biggest flaw is actually rather impressive, as it does not relate to the actual quality of the product at all, but the work done after the fact.
In all, Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying is a journey through the kind-hearted, beautiful soul of Labi Siffre. The instrumentation across the entire record is breathtaking; on each track, a new instrument burns brighter than it did on the last. This album is what all acoustic albums need to strive to be, a creative, passionate, and beautiful composition of well-played instruments and exceptional vocal performance. I believe that a fan of music from any background and taste can walk away from this album with something that made a positive impact on their listening experience. Whether it is the masterful strings, the sincere use of the piano and organ, the enthralling drums, or simply the captivating vocal performance by Siffre. A beautiful album that I only found through the artistry of another performer, none other than the Kanye West. It is difficult to rate any album, especially one of this pristine, but to give this album a definitive rating, Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying by Labi Siffre is a 9.3/10