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Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
Singer-Songwriter · 1972

Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying

Labi Siffre

Intimate 1972 folk-soul that balances sunshine melodies with deep, often lonely introspection. Labi's voice sits right at the ear, warm and unflinchingly honest.

April 1972 · Interfusion

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Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying is a masterclass in the 'less is more' philosophy of the early 1970s British singer-songwriter movement. While many of his contemporaries were leaning into heavy orchestration or psychedelic flourishes, Labi Siffre leaned into the silence. The album sounds like a private conversation held in a wood-paneled room, where the click of a guitar pick and the intake of breath are as vital as the melodies themselves. It is a record that feels both incredibly fragile and remarkably sturdy, anchored by Siffre's rhythmic precision and his ability to turn a simple folk progression into a soulful groove.

Moments Worth Listening For
The sudden, bright burst of the chorus in the title track where the rhythm section locks in.
The vulnerable, almost whispered delivery of It Must Be Love before the strings enter.
The way Cannock Chase uses a rolling acoustic fingerpicking pattern to evoke a specific English landscape.
The stark, percussive piano on My Song that provides a rhythmic backbone to his soaring vocal.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying sound next to the rest of Labi Siffre's catalogue?

Baritone+1.2σ

The vocals lean notably further into baritone than the rest of the catalogue.

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