No less than two weeks after the release of her fourth solo album, Heaven, Cleo Sol released Gold. In an announcement on twitter, she posted an image of a handwritten note, saying “this album was made for God.” Gold is undoubtedly a work of thanksgiving, exemplifying subversive optimism and spirituality arising from hardship.
An honourable mention goes to Inflo, who has produced several of Cleo Sol’s albums, as well as working with the likes of Little Simz, Michael Kiwanuka and Adele, to name but a few. Whilst these sonic influences are clearly present in Cleo Sol’s latest work, she deftly affirms her own vision through an effortless and unhurried groove coupled with starkly spiritual lyrics.
This album is characteristically graceful, and gently ekes out her mission statement as the tracks go on. Narratively, Sol ruminates on her own spirituality, and the album begins with a quiet hopefulness that ‘Things Will Get Better’, in the face of difficulty. She lyrically concludes on powerful declarations of the goodness of God, proclaiming “If you’re alive, there’s no excuse/God gave you a gift”. Her own faith is undeniably the muse of this work, and the religiosity of her lyrics is further reflected in the musical elements, imbued with gospel characteristics of swelling choirs, repetitions of and rumination on song titles, and isolated piano accompaniments. ‘Please Don’t End It All’ is particularly evident of this, fostering a sense of intimacy through the stripped instrumentation. It feels as if you are listening to a live performance in church, rather than a studio recording.
The work gets increasingly Stevie Wonder-esque as it progresses, which is no mean feat nor a bad thing. She has the same searching joy in her vocal tone that Wonder harbours so gorgeously, but against the backdrop of neo-soul rhythms and (generally) stripped back instrumentation. The chorus of ‘Life Will Be’ is particularly evocative of early 1970s Wonder, complete with an infectious bassline and descending chromatic melodies that could be found on Where I’m Coming From or Talking Book.
The primary takeaway from Gold is a feeling of joy and hope, regardless whether one subscribes to its religious inflections. Such explicit references to faith might appear unpalatable in a largely secular landscape, but the soothing and salvific balm that Cleo Sol’s voice provides, renders Gold heavenly, even to the non-believer.
“The Obsidian Walls under the Gold in Kiev” by Trey Ratcliff is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.