Richard Bach’s popular 1970 allegorical novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull tells the story of a seagull cast out from his flock for daring to challenge their worldview by flying beyond the clouds. Along his solitary journey, he finds ways to channel his sense of isolation into self-actualization; he eventually ascends to another realm, one where ostracized gulls like himself soar across the sky in peace and serenity.
“Jonathan L. Seagull,” a standout track on singer, songwriter, and producer Sampha’s second album, the meditative Lahai, ponders the forces that keep us tethered to the reality of life on Earth. “Seasons grow and seasons die/How high can a bird ever fly?” he sings, as if to literally uplift the listener. The production becomes airy and buoyant as Sampha alternates between his usual rich tenor and a breathy, piercing falsetto.
There has always been something transcendent, almost spiritual about Sampha’s music, like listening to someone invent their own type of prayer. He name-checks our avian protagonist once more on “Spirit 2.0”, Lahai’s lead single and its crown jewel, where honey-toned synths and skittering drumbeats craft an ambiance halfway between Erykah Badu’s R&B mysticism and the pop experimentation of mid-career Björk. “Just like Jonathan Livingston Seagull/Try catch the clouds as I free fall,” he sings, until realizing that he is ripe for salvation: “Love gonna catch you/Spirit gonna catch you, yeah.” In comparison to the rest of the album, the production on “Spirit 2.0” is sparser, more intentional in its empty space, mirroring the resignation that comes before having to take a leap of faith.
Transcendental seabirds aside, it’s no wonder that Sampha relates to these themes of alienation, individuality, and transformation. His 2017 debut album, Process—which won him the Mercury Prize and made him an R&B powerhouse after years of collaborating with superstars like Kanye West, Drake, and Solange—was written and recorded in the wake of losing both his parents to cancer. On the other side of the type of world-shattering grief encapsulated in Process songs like “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” lies an emotional expansion, a psychological release when those heavy emotions finally give way to something new; Lahai celebrates that transition.
