PREMIERE Liza Lo, "He Is, I Am"
Ascendant to the atmospheres of archangels and entities from otherworldly dimensions — Liza Lo; press photo courtesy of the artist.
The conversations and interplays between the head and heart are dances akin to a tango and limbo. The heart rages ahead madly, with a hunger and thirst for something that extends beyond tangible logic, meanwhile the mind acts as the austere accountant that measures the flights of emotion and headfirst engagements of abandon with audits that measure irrationalities against grounded foundational rationalities. The rapidly beating heart races ahead down paths lined by autumn leaves and other fallen foliage, rarely fully seeing the forest for the trees while the consciousness strives to convey a larger picture (even in the heat of each momentary pulse).
And through the seconds, the minutes, the hours, and days, and months that march along with the tides of time: the wayward spirit gains a greater clarity as to what truths can be gleaned through the views of panoramic observances that show us new perspectives of ourselves and our worlds. Through this we gain a clearer understanding of situations, who we are, who others are, and the ways in which passions and practicality find themselves as curious bedfellows working in tandem as a concerted promotion toward better life balances.
Opening up these doors of perception is Liza Lo with the debut of the intimate “He Is, I Am”. The London-based artist by way of Amsterdam, and Spain continues to chronicle amorous attributes of the human condition through a troubadour craft that is earnest, organic, and oppulent. Following up the album Familiar, recorded with industry vet Jon Kelly at Studio 13 (operated by Damon Albarn) in West-London and Sean Hargreaves' TYE London studio at Tileyard in London's King's Cross; Lo's songs capture expressions that breathe whispers, spirit raising hums, and acoustic harmonies aplenty (that hover above earth like the dewy teared mist of early morning fog).
On the album Familiar Liza walked across the sentimentally charged climes of "Gypsy Hill", the daybreak confrontations that gallop like horses on "Morning Call", tossing and rolling in the languid daydream solar shine of "Darling". Hearted hemmed hymns hold tight on "Catch the Door", the romantic relays of "A Messenger", the sentimental reception reckoning of "As I Listen", and the myriad lessons of love that flow forth through "Open Eyes". Liza musically sweeps the listener off their feet on the world whirling "Anything Like Love", musing on the milestones and landmarks that populate the connective corridor routes of memory on "What I Used to Do", gliding those calming grooves into the penultimate Spanish-sung "Confiarme", that emanates with the warmth of time spent with a beloved, close, confidante, lover, friend—closing with the atmospheric haunts and evocative intonations of “Show Me”.
"He Is, I Am" ponders the characteristics of a lover, acknowledging the differences and cross sections of these elements that both contrast and clasp together like brass buttons on treasured vintage silk shirt. Liza observes the separate psychologies at play, the way people can retreat to their own particular views and comprehension of realities and how those can clash with loved ones who see things in a different way.
The song exudes a sharp exhibition of would be guarded exposition of friction points, where a desperate tension is seeking to couple together two incompatible souls. "He Is, I Am" is rife with a surrender to the fascinating friendships, situationships, ill-paired suitors and all the fissures that burst the fantasy bubble that reveal rocky truths.
Liza Lo parses out the noted contrasts with a candid heart of care and deeply held respect, with a soothing melancholia that sails like a loose love note in the breeze. It is the kind of reflective ballad that drifts in thought with the earned wisdom and benefit of some time and distance, like a seafaring voyager in search of sacred solace, and perchance some better suited waters.
Liza Lo provided the following candid thoughts on the song “He Is, I Am”:
This once I was with someone and we were inherently just so different, however it took breaking up for me to even admit to that. I'd seek the dream-like, he'd seek the forward thought, I'd seek certainty, he'd crave a non-commitment, I'd fear to lose whilst he was ready to walk away.
Liza Lo through leaves and gauzy veils; press photo courtesy of the artist.
“He is, I am” is a song where the differences have very slowly become apparent, but the fear of letting go of each other was bigger than the will to consider this shift. It took breaking up for me to even admit seeing the differences between me and my ex. A song I wrote the week before that sudden break-up, where my gut feeling had already caught up, but my mindset and fear of letting go was still too present to do so.