Canadian Singer/Songwriter Sara London has been on my ‘to-listen’ list for a while now, since a download link to her debut EP Breaking Hearts landed on my radar last month. I finally got to listen to the emotional project this weekend and the impressive vocalist automatically gets a plug from me as a result of her stellar debut.
A little fun fact about the Bahamian-born Canadian songstress is that she used to be go by her real name Sara Green but as she revealed in a recent online interview with iLuluOnline, she was moved to change her name because of another singer/songwriter and frequent Lupe Fiasco collaborator who goes by the name Sarah Green. The change to Sara London was welcomed and the artist has been happy with the move ever since.
While working on her new project, the now Ms London travelled between her hometown Ontario, Canada and New York, US to record. Her mentor and vocal coach Kenny Hicks was one of the major players on the EP along with producers Darrel “Wolfgang” Jackson, Dane Hartsell, Jessie O’Brien, and Joel Stouffer. She lists her influences as Sade, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan and someday dreams of working with The Weeknd and Drake. Until then however, lets listen to what Sara London currently has to offer. The expressive artist's genre of music can be classified as Pop/Jazz with a hint of Neo-soul and when asked in an interview, what inspired the title of her project, she replied:
“Breaking Hearts is the title track. I think mainly because the story always ends in heartbreak… for me anyways. I’ve decided to have a Valentine’s Day release. It’s the perfect day for my love and heartbreak EP!"
Starting off with her debut EP's title track "Breaking Hearts", we can already witness Sara's songwriting prowess and vocal abilities. As if the title wasn't clear enough, the lush solo keyboard introduction further imprints the strong emotional and evocative tone of the record and as the backing harmonies gently saunter in on the keyboard arrangements, you are well and truly drawn in to this song. The drum kicks mixed with a medley of stringed instruments give the song that R&B/Neo-Soul vibe and music style. On "Breaking Hearts", Sara speaks on how she never stays in love and in essence is always breaking hearts even unintentionally. The melody to this track reminds me a lot of a 90’s record which is probably why I like it all the more but I'll let you folks listen (below) and judge
This next track "Breathe (With You)" which is co-produced by Jesse O'Brien and Joel Stouffer starts off very solemn with grand piano arrangements and leads into more minimalistic sounds similar to that of compressed synths. The milieu picks up soon after, as Sara’s vocals and lush drum kicks join in beautifully on the warm keyboard-led instrumentals. I most especially like how the chorus switches up to a different feel and tempo from the rest of the song. "Breathe (With You)" is definitely an easy listening favorite off of the EP with Sara genuinely speaking on finally finding love on this sublime Pop/Soul song. If anything, this should be the first single released by Ms. London as it has such a radio friendly feel to it.
The acoustic driven "Making Me Feel Good" is the final song I'll be plugging from Sara London's Breaking Hearts EP and what a record to end on. This track - with its stripped down guitar instrumentals - highlights Ms London’s warm and inviting vocals even more than the previous songs. Keeping up with the love theme that runs through the EP, Sara pours out her feelings of how her significant other makes her feel. I love the simplicity in the song, which makes it one of my favorites to listen to but I would have loved if Sara hit a few high notes to show off her vocal capabilities more. She almost reminds me of Angel Taylor on this track, but similarities aside, listen to the lush Summery track below
Looking up Sara London online, "Crying Café" was one track that seemed to be very popular with the fans and I can see why as it embodies that classic R&B feeling and is one song to definitely look out for as you listen to Breaking Hearts. Sara also samples the smash hit "Apologise" by One Republic and transforms her rendition into a powerful and conscious track titled "Talking Bout A Revolution" that is worth more than a few listens. For now, Sara London is not a well-known name in many industry circles and she is still very much the epitome of "new and emerging" but I think she’s got enough talent both vocally and with her song writing to carve out a good niche for herself and her music amidst all the white noise. We're going to wager that in no time, she'll start receiving the acknowledgement and shine she duly deserves.
Download: Sara London - Breaking Hearts EP
TemiY
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