A fully-fledged sonic journey: Lisa Ramey delivers highly-anticipated album ‘Broken Smile’

Vocal powerhouse Lisa Ramey caught the attention of millions following her stint on The US Voice, where she performed on the team of John Legend. Exuding soul-infused fervour in every delivery, superbly countered by her signature rock n’ roll edge that unequivocally captures her roots; the St Louis born, New York-based vocalist has recently returned to the spotlight to take her unmatched versatile artistry to the next level. Following the a string of thought-provoking releases including unplugged, gospel stormer ‘Certainly Lord’, country blues track ‘Jesus Is My Only Friend’, powerful nod to Black History Month ‘Keep Your Lamps’, r&b single ‘You Know’ and reggae bopper 'By The Shore', Ramey now returns to deliver her highly-anticipated full album 'Broken Smile'.

With a growing catalogue of gospel, rock, reggae and R&B infused productions, Lisa Ramey’s limitless and creative mentality is reflected in her discography, as she effortlessly floats between genres with unmatched versatility. Blending styles to create her own distinctive sound, her productions are scattered with nods to greats who have gone before her. As she harnesses her unique talent for re-awakening forgotten voices, she showcases her very own refreshed perspective.

With a natural propensity for creating genre-defying bodies of work, this versatility is very much reflective of Lisa Ramey's personality and naturally, the ever-shifting emotions of his listeners. Entering a new era, with a sharp focus on creating evergreen excellence, the icon in the making envisions a multitude of creative influences interlocking to create a pure, unadulterated sonic experience.

“The whole idea behind creating this album was to find joy in a scary world. Without joy what else is there? This project helped me trust people again, made me realise there are still kind and loving people out there ready to be a part of a historical project. I found myself. Recording it in my hometown made me dig deep into my St. Louis roots. I was able to eliminate the noise from NYC and really dig deep into my younger self. Nostalgia is a beautiful drug.”

As Ramey croons over a Nirvana-reminiscent beat in ‘Certainly Lord’, she strikes the perfect balance of crunchy rock ’n’ roll grit and a refreshed amalgamation of soul and jazz. Where sweet, mellow guitar and percussion meets Ramey’s versatile vocal, unique additions of black Jamaican birdsong and organs support her offering ‘You Know’, while in ‘Keep Your Lamps’ we see the artist invoke impactful spoken word as she sends a powerful nod forgotten voices in the wake of Black History Month.

While the multi-talented artist continues to discover a pure means of translating and understanding her experiences, she has drawn from a multitude of personal influences, from country blues references in ‘Jesus Is My Only Friend’ to reggae infused tones heard in ‘By The Shore’. By fusing melodic references spanning across decades with her signature flair and seamlessly integrating the two, Ramey’s latest creation lends itself to an unique, journeyed experience that envelopes its listener in an ambient, reflective moment.

As ‘Broken Smile’ leads the listener on an odyssey of sonic goodness across continents and throughout history, this offering continues to support Ramey’s lionhearted approach to her creations as she delivers a superbly varied body of work. With one foot in historic music traditions and another boldly stepping into the future, the old soul continues to break boundaries while effortlessly wrapping listeners up in a whirlwind of full-bodied, rich tones - a result completely tantalising to any well-versed music lover.

Speaking of her latest offering, Lisa Ramey said:

"Finally it’s here! I feel incredible. I’ve been thinking about this release since 2020. I’m so happy everything came together so brilliantly. This whole process fulfilled my expectations and beyond."

'Broken Smile' is out on streaming platforms now, check it out below.