By Cody Englander, Contributor

[Forever Living Originals, 2023]

Rating: 8/10

Key Tracks: “Go Baby”, “Self”, “Miss Romantic”

Cleo Sol has been an inspiring artist in the R&B cosmos since her debut studio album in 2020. Sol does an admirable job of combining early soul inspirations from the 80s and 90s with current trends and sounds, sometimes reminiscent of Solange. Much of the 80s and 90s inspiration comes from the vocals, and the incorporation with nondiegetic sounds of birds and nature. All of this comes together to create a tempered album with a lot of instrumental energy. 

So much of the draw to her newest album Heaven is how Cleo Sol’s vocals merge into the calming instrumentals. In many tracks, the lyrics are used as an excuse for Cleo Sol to display her beautiful voice. Much of the experience of this album is like getting put under a spell through the music. The charm is there in every line and every note, but after it’s over, I’m not sure how much of the experience I carried with me.

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With time, though, its charm spell lasts much, much longer. There’s a lot of mileage in this album, and seemingly more with more listens. With just nine tracks, it clocks in at 30 minutes, with no song (or the album, for that matter) overstaying its welcome. In a notable self-critique on “Miss Romantic” is averse to the expectations for a track that draws so much from lovey soul songs of the 70s.

Cleo Sol has a voice that should be prophetic, and for an album titled Heaven it only makes sense. Nearly all of the tracks fit together in a puzzle piece, aside from the closer “Love Will Lead You There”. It fits, but it’s too much for the whole collection of songs to work in perfect harmony.

The background vocals really fit the track about the power of love, but the stringy instrumental offers no variation, and the song suffers for it, only made up for by the fact that Sol gives one of her best performances. The instrumental fits into the religious themes, but it doesn’t leave the listener with enough of a satisfying end.

Aside from this hiccup, Cleo Sol rocks the gospel R&B scene with Heaven. The entire album offers a unique form of auditory healing. So much of the smoothness is special to Cleo Sol’s sound, which makes for an even greater experience. 
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6aWsHOGYXoEY1kxnxGMLwU?si=mxy9Ek__RYCRlA8w5dmeBA