Alessia Cara has always been an artist who balances vulnerability with confidence and introspection with an air of casual cool. With Love & Hyperbole, she fully embraces this by crafting an album that’s lush and organic, rooted in deep grooves and smoky atmospheres. It’s a strong move for an artist who has flirted with R&B and soul influences in the past but now fully commits to them. The result? A record that, while sonically rich and often compelling, struggles at times with its own ambitions.
From the outset, Love & Hyperbole makes its intentions clear. The opening track, “Go Outside,” is one of the strongest moments on the album with its luxurious blend of pop-soul and dance-inflected energy, carried by a drum groove and a radiant, catchy melody. It sets a high bar, pulling listeners into Cara’s world of analog warmth and tightly woven instrumentation and vocal layers. “(Isn’t It) Obvious,” the album’s lead single, perfectly showcases Cara’s evolution with silky R&B vocals. It’s a track that wouldn’t feel out of place alongside the likes of Suki Waterhouse or Maggie Rogers, reveling in a late-night glow.
Tracks like “Left Alone” highlight Cara’s ability to let simplicity shine. The minimal instrumentation centered on guitar, bass, and drums with sprinkles of warm synths. Cara’s whispery vocals fill the space as she breathes emotion into the lyrics. Meanwhile, “Dead Man” embraces a more maximalist approach, layering soul, Latin, and big band influences into a dramatic developing moment. While it’s a familiar sonic trope, Cara’s commitment makes it one of the album’s most interesting experiments.
However, where Love & Hyperbole stumbles is in maintaining that momentum. After the initial run of strong, vibrant tracks, the album settles into a mid-tempo lull where the grooves begin to blur together. While nothing here is outright bad, the songs begin to feel predictable—soft, neo-soul beats that lack the spark of the album’s standout moments. The subtlety that once felt intentional starts to verge on complacency, with melodies that, while pleasant, lack the depth needed to leave a lasting impression.
Despite this, the album does occasionally reignite its earlier fire. “Slow Motion” injects a refreshing syncopated-infused groove, delivering one of the most effortlessly charismatic performances on the record. The track feels alive in a way that much of the album’s latter half does not, proving that when Cara leans into her instincts, she shines. The way she sings behind the beat is the goat.
Lyrically, Love & Hyperbole stays true to Cara’s signature style—frank, introspective, and refreshingly candid. However, where past projects found strength in their sharp relatability, this album sometimes settles for the mundane. Rather than exploring love’s complexities with nuance, many tracks linger on the surface, capturing fleeting moments but not necessarily making them resonate. The album’s title suggests a world of heightened emotions, yet much of the record remains emotionally restrained.
One of the more surprising elements is how Love & Hyperbole occasionally flirts with soft rock influences, as in “Fire,” eschewing the pop-heavy beats of her earlier work for something different. However, these elements don’t always fully coalesce, and at times, the album’s mix feels uneven. Cara’s vocals are always beautifully sung, burying her intricate expressions in vocal effects as in “Fire” detracts from its emotional impact, lessening its sense of dynamic emotional movement.
Ultimately, Love & Hyperbole is a confident step forward for Alessia Cara. It’s her most assured and mature album to date, showcasing her desire to push beyond the boundaries of her past work. While its high points are truly stellar, the album’s biggest flaw is its tendency toward safe, repetitive grooves in its back half. Fans of Cara’s neo-soul and R&B leanings will find much to love here.
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