ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those who frequently read my column will probably remember near the beginning of December was when my review for “Wicked” came out, which was very complimentary to leading lady Cynthia Erivo and her performance.
A couple months ago, I came across an announcement online she would be releasing her second album, “I Forgive You,” and Friday, while working on some work here at the office, I finally got the chance to hear it, and I ended up being completely pleased by what I heard.
I have to start by talking about the overall vocals. Throughout the album, Erivo proves she’s one of those vocalists who could sing the phone book and make it sound good. She’s more known for her theatre work (and definitely rightly so!), but she easily makes that transition to more pop/R&B music. I feel like she could easily be up there with the likes of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey and similar artists, because she makes every note of every song sound just absolutely effortless and silky and beautiful, and the final effort is just amazing. There are a few moments when Erivo’s Broadway belt wants to come out, but she’s able to keep it in check and keep the album along the R&B/pop musical lines. And throughout the album, she has not only the singing chops for each song, but she’s also got the vocal ‘acting’ chops to tell a distinct story with each song, and the final output is absolutely breathtaking. The absolute best example (to me) from the album is “Brick By Brick,” which tackles the aftermath of a toxic relationship, and it’s a song many people will probably relate to. Overall, Erivo’s vocals throughout the entire album are almost sheer perfection.
In terms of the lyrics, they are WAY deeper than one might expect from a pop/R&B album compared to other modern pop music, and for me, the lyric work wasn’t entirely unlike Chappell Roan and other similar artists. The lyrics REALLY help paint a picture, and each song is its own individual story. I honestly don’t think these songs could have worked with anyone except Erivo behind the mic, and one can definitely hear and tell the effort put forth with the songwriting for this album. Overall, the lyric work on this album is SOLID and everyone involved in that aspect deserves a huge shoutout.
While I overall enjoyed the album, I do have just a couple minor gripes. The first thing is I felt the album was a little slow for my personal taste. All of the songs are absolutely stunning, but the vast majority of the album is pop/R&B/easy listening, and I wouldn’t have minded a few songs with a little more action or bounce. I also felt the album was a little too long, as it lasts a little more than an hour. I also personally felt the interlude songs in the album weren’t really necessary, and a few of the songs could have probably been saved for a future album project or something else.
As I listened, there were a few songs that ended up quickly becoming favorites. One of them was the aforementioned “Brick by Brick” – it’s just so full of symbolism and hope and strength, and it really paints a picture. Another particular favorite of mine was “Replay,” which is rather simple but also kind of fun and reminds me of something that might come from Sara Bareilles or another similar artist. Another song I ended up really liking was “Holy Refrain,” which is one of those songs that will end up taking some listeners to church, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I also ended up really enjoying “What You Want,” which I could easily see as a slower song played in a club setting or something similar, and it’s very catcher. Overall, listeners should find a few songs they should particularly enjoy as the album goes on.
Overall, I found “I Forgive You” to be a very solid sophomore album effort, and I would give it a solid “A” grade. Erivo’s vocals are absolutely stunning on each song, and her voice helps the lyrics really tell story with each song, and the overall final effect ended up dazzling me because I could tell there was care and effort put toward this project. I would have made some changes in terms of song variety and the album’s overall length, but those are only minor gripes about what is an overall solid and stunning album. If you’re a fan of any of Cynthia Erivo’s other work, “I Forgive You” is a good album to cue up wherever you happen to stream your music.
