Review: Acantha Lang — Beautiful Dreams
Soul singer Acantha Lang’s first full-length album, “Beautiful Dreams”, dropped last week, finally seeing her statement debut in a collection of songs mixing new releases with tracks that have been out for months or even years. Lang was raised in New Orleans and started her musical career in New York, working with some of the city’s most renowned session musicians and earning a position as the first female MC of The Box. This led her to a residency at The Box’s sister club in London, where she has been living and working on recording this album. Despite her international career, “Beautiful Dreams” feels like it comes straight from the golden era of soul, immediately bringing to mind comparisons to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, and, from a more modern perspective, Menahan Street Band.
From an overview, the vocal performance and instrumentation all across the album are immaculate. The backing vocals stand out as anchoring the album to the genre where some elements of the production and songwriting feel a little more modern and the variety of songs makes the project feel varied enough that it stays interesting for the almost hour-long run across 13 tracks.
The second track, “Come Back Home” shows off Acantha Lang’s songwriting and vocal skills and stands out as an energetic production across the board. Meanwhile, “Eventually” feels intimate…
