Lisala, Get It

Wasn’t Lisala an American Idol finalist? I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case, because she can really belt out those vocals. Or she can really layer those vocals, at least; she seems to enjoy doing that. She layers them on every song like she’s the next John Lennon, only black and not as inspired. Her voice is actually not bad, full of honey and soul as it is — it’s just that the layering becomes a gimmick pretty quickly. We get it, Lisala; you’re really good at over-producing your voice. It turns out she comes not from American Idol, but from her very own jazz ensemble. It shows on her debut solo album, Get It, which is full of decent beats but full of tired vocals and lyrics.

The songs on Get It start off well enough. Every time a new one starts, I think “Oh, this sounds interesting,” until she opens her mouth and the voice and words come out. Her lyrics are clichéd and way too repetitive. On “Lie to Me,” Lisala apparently wants someone to lie to her twenty times — she says so in the song. And that’s not counting how many times she layers her vocals over the chorus. “We’ve all been hurt before / There’s no way to avoid / There’s pain in life / But just think of the joy that we would miss / If we passed through each day resisting love,” she sings in “Take My Hand”. Huh? Is she singing or talking?

Get It is entirely too long, as well. Nearly every song is four and a half minutes or longer, and it’s only because she mucks around with her vocals so much; all filler, no killer. I thought at one time the album was almost finished, but when I looked, it was only halfway through. That’s the effect her music has on me. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? Well, apparently that phrase works in reverse, too.

She reminds me of someone John Mayer fans might listen to when they’re not in the mood for guitars. It’s a great album for all of those pseudo-revolutionary twenty-somethings with their clever T-shirts and Diesel shoes and ethanol. Stoners might enjoy it, as well. I take that back — I know some stoners who would disgrace me if they found this CD in my possession. Hippies, on the other hand… So maybe find the album if you think India Arie was passionate and ahead of her time. It’s no surprise Lisala opened up for her a few years back. For my part, though, I’m no fan of weak inspirational R&B, and she’s not helping the issue any.