I can’t explain why L.A.’s Shola and Albert Sadia named themselves Divisible when the number 2 is only divisible by 2 numbers, but that’s probably not important. What is important is that their debut, “Less Than Lion,” is already getting good advance word of mouth. And deservedly so.
Their first full-length album, “Less Than Lion,” deceptively defies classification, and doesn’t have a bad song on it. It’s got fascinating, intricate percussion (think Afro Beat/Vampire Weekend), laid back David Byrne style vocals combined with Debbie Harry sex appeal, thoughtful lyrics and hooks that come almost entirely from Shola’s incredibly agile vocals. Most percussion-and-voice based albums end up sounding bluesy, like The White Stripes, but not so with Divisible. Their music is beautiful, never crunchy, and melodic. They describe their release as based on Shola’s personal relationship with her African heritage, but don’t think for one second that this limits its broad-based appeal. If I hadn’t read that information, I’d never have known it just from listening. For example, “Living with a Ghost” and “Big Machines” deal with death and abandonment, themes as universal as any, and honestly, as good as the lyrics are,
it’s not even necessary to focus on them. The music is so completely integrated that the album is more of an experience than it is the sum of its parts. Paying attention to the words just adds to the experience.
To sum up: Fantastic.
Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead cover) (YSI)
