In Fall of 2019, U.K. singer and songwriter, Sinéad Harnett, provided her lessons in love. On her timeless masterpiece debut album, Lessons in Love. While now a little over a year and a half later. Harnett delivered a couple of months ago, her highly-anticipated sophomore album, Ready Is Always Too Late.
A very worthy follow-up to Harnett’s debut album. That though it isn’t as timeless of a masterpiece album as her first album. It’s still a pretty solid album. That finds the singer, who’s most known for her soulfully and soothingly smooth vocals. Singing about her soulfully emotional tale. In her very crazy and unpredictable journey of both love and self-love in her life. Throughout all 11 tracks. Starting off with the very beautifully soulful and amazing, title track. Where Harnett sings so beautifully with her very soulfully smooth angelic vocals about a love. That is always seem too late for her to go full in and that so many can relate to. Really helping set the tone for the beautifully crazy up and down unpredictable journey most of us go in. For both love and self-love. The piano strings played on the very big, yet beautiful outro. Also showing from the very beginning. How emotionally beautiful of an album this is and you’re truly in for experiencing. That then perfectly transitioning into the beautifully soulful and amazing STINT-produced, Stay. That’s by far not only easily one of the best records on the album. But one of the most beautifully soulful amazing songs you will ever hear. That really let’s Harnett truly show off her heavenly angelic smooth beautiful vocals. On this very deeply beautiful emotional record.
As we get to the portion of the album that features previously released singles, Take Me Away and Last Love. The GRADES-produced, Take Me Away, which features EARTHGANG. That also stands as one of the very features on the album. Finds Harnett giving us more of the acoustic sounding type production. We heard on most of her debut album. The smooth piano chords of the production on that particular record. The perfect backdrop for Harnett to sing about a love that’s so great. She wants to be taken away with that love that helps her, “find some inner peace.” Those smooth piano chords being played out solo on the record perfectly segueing into the soulfully amazing drums, snaps and very upbeat backed production of the next record, Last Love. That’s a really soulfully amazing bop. Which gives you that loving feel of the record. That has Harnett so effortlessly and confidently singing the catchy chorus and lyrics about her, “Last Love.” That is also not only one of the top two of three records on the album. But also easily one of her best records to date too.
Just when you think the album couldn’t get any better too. Harnett delivers the super beautifully smooth P2J-produced, Anymore. A collaboration with fellow talented rising R&B singer and songwriter, Lucky Daye, that’s as true as a duet as you will get. That finds both Harnett and Daye over the beautifully smooth piano chords of the production. Singing in such perfect synergy and harmony with each other. About a love they’re trying to make work. But as the very beautifully smooth and passionate lyrics suggest on part of the chorus. That they so passionately belt out. They just, “don’t love like that anymore.” So they can’t make it work anymore.
As we get to the midway point of the album. Is where Harnett really hits her stride. Delivering what’s easily not only the best track on the album or even one of the best records in Harnett’s already great and ever growing discography of mostly all love related records. But one of the most romantically emotional and beautifully touching records you will ever hear in, Hard 4 Me 2 Love You. A record that really allows Harnett to show off her beautifully soothing and amazingly angelic vocals. As she sings so beautifully and passionately about a love that she wants to make work, but as the lyrics and chorus say, “Make it hard for me 2 love you.” With Harnett’s so beautifully passionate and emotionally angelic vocals and lyrics over the just as beautiful piano-laden production, building up with each part of the pre-chorus, chorus, verses and bridge right before the final chorus. To deliver such a beautifully romantic and emotionally touching record. Before segueing so perfectly into the lone interlude on the album, J.L (Interlude). With that the perfect setup for the very upbeat bouncing drums and a jubilant brass sections being played from Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman on the very next track, Like This. A very outerly produced record from Gitelman. That’s a true soul-saturated groove. That allows Harnett to sing about, “a love like this.” That’s a love you can’t decide on if it’s something bright for you or not. As she alludes to on the second verse. In which she sings, “After the rain is when you see the sunshine (Sun). It was a set up, but, baby, I’m the punchline. I’ma settle down, but I ain’t settlin’. Life is too short, I only want the best things (Best things). If it’s anythin’ less, then it’s irrelevant, ayy.”
As we reach the latter part of the album and the final three tracks. There’s a certain playfulness and introspective that Harnett has on them. Starting with the very catchy and playfully fun previously released single, Stickin’. That features Masego and fellow great upcoming R&B/Soul singer and songwriters in their own right, VanJess. With Sinéad and the R&B sister duo of VanJess singing the very catchy chorus about a love they’re doing everything to stick around and be with. As Masego, who plays saxophone on the record, also gives a solid verse. Just like Harnett and VanJess singing about what they would do for a love they’re sticking around for. That perfectly segueing into the very playfully funky more upbeat Toddla T-produced, Obvious. That has that infectious, reggae-tinted funk. As Harnett sings and muses on where she stands in love and being a hopeless romantic. From the very opening verse of her singing, “Is it obvious
I didn’t come here with anyone? A loner at heart.. Who’s just so deep in love with love. Is it obvious. When I look into your eyes. That I fall apart? It’s just so hard to say all the things that I wish I could say.” The record itself surprisingly fitting in perfect sync with the rest of the album. Before Harnett closes out the album with the more breezy, old-school sounding M-Phazes-produced, Distraction. The hums and just right up-tone vocals providing the perfect cool backdrop to close out the album. As she sings so cooly about her feelings for love. Singing, “At the thought of it, I know it make you weak. Is that why you seem to make it hard to speak? Ain’t nobody that can please you like me (Oh yeah). When you call, then you know I’m gonna show. Take you there where I know you wanna go. More high than you ever been before.”
Though it isn’t a timeless masterpiece like her first album. Harnett’s sophomore album, does show her ability to experiment successfully, while showing her great versatility beyond just soul-searching R&B ballads and alluring. As well as lush melodies, bops and funky grooves. To truly capture her best self. In her crazy and unpredictable journey of both self-love and hopelessly romantic love that we all yearn for. While also showing that she will be around for plenty of years and generations to come.