(July 1, 2024) Now more than three decades into her illustrious career, Lalah Hathaway has nothing to prove. But, album after album, she continues to prove her artistic chops, never resting on the laurels of her past albums and continuing to stretch her artistry.
That continues on her newest album, VANTABLACK, an eclectic disc that demonstrates where Ms. Hathaway sits musically in 2024. Interestingly, one of the most surprising “stretches” on the new album is a step back to the early 1980s, when the ex post facto named “Yacht” sounds dominated popular radio.
“No Lie” sounds a long-lost David Foster or Jay Graydon production, circa 1983, with exquisite horns and a steady groove behind Hathaway’s always on-point vocals. And just to complete the trip through the wayback machine, Yacht King Michael McDonald comes along for the ride, supplying steady backing vocals in the same way he would have, forty years ago, for Steely Dan or James Ingram.
“No Lie” is a beautiful trip to Adult Soul-land, and Lalah Hathaway delivers it wonderfully. Check it out below.
