4.0 out of 5.0 stars
On Feb. 14, singer-songwriter Alessia Cara released her fourth studio album titled “Love and Hyperbole,” which Cara began writing in 2021. For the four years up until release, Cara made sure to make every song fill the room with as much life as possible. Facilitated by pop instrumentals that switch up the flow to guide through meaningful metaphors, her album on love lost and found stands as a fantastic addition to her discography.
“Dead Man” has a very upbeat tune with a very catchy chorus. The song is about someone being in love with a man, but feeling they are not getting the same amount of love back, as if they are “talking to a dead man.” Ultimately, the decision to have “Dead Man” as the lead single off the album was a good choice as the appealing chorus mixed with pop-like instrumentals gave the audience a reason to look forward to the album.
The second single, “(Isn’t It) Obvious,” was released Oct. 21. The instrumentals are headlined by the drums in the background, which help the song to flow from one lyric to the next seamlessly. This allows the listener to better digest what is being said in the lyrics. The song is about a person talking to a potential lover about how they feel it is very clear that they should be together. It is safe to say that the lover is unsure as to whether or not they want to take it to the next level, as shown through the lyrics in the chorus. They are formed as questions: “You know that we got enough / Isn’t it obvious / I’m all yours, all yours?” This puts the listener directly in the mind of the lover, providing a thorough insight into Cara’s feelings regarding love as a whole.
The third single on “Love and Hyperbole” is titled “Slow Motion,” which was released Jan. 24. This song replaced “Fire,” which was supposed to be released that same day but was not because of wildfires in California at the time. The song starts out a cappella on the first lyric before a jazz-like tune starts to play, which can be heard throughout the song. The way Cara is able to use extended and powerful metaphors to describe the love between two individuals ropes the audience in, allowing listeners to interpret what is going on through the hints while not giving too much away.
Preceding “Slow Motion” on the album is “Fire”, a slower song that still fits perfectly within the themes of processing grief and love. The song includes a very slow and smooth drum and guitar instrumental helping to set up the starstruck mood the lyrics are illustrating about someone finally finding love, leaving the listener feeling emotional.
Overall, the album is some of Cara’s best work to date. The only issue is that the overall vibes of each song seem to change drastically throughout the album, Cara could have done a better job with the track order so the mood only switches once mid way through the album. However, the work put in over the past three years can clearly be seen throughout the album in the amount of effort put into the instrumentals and lyrics. It is clear that Cara spent a good amount of time making sure the album was as good as it could be.
Cara does a perfect job of creating tunes that will become stuck in the listener’s ear, making the listener want to hit the replay button over and over again. Every song on the album tells a story, whether that be about the harder parts of love in the earlier tracks or the more rewarding parts of love in the later tracks. The music sends a message that no matter how hard things might get, they will always get better. Anyone going through a tough time in their love life, or even life in general should listen to this album for the hope it instills.
