Title: Between Two Worlds
Artist: Lulu Fall
Label: Ropeadope
Format: CD, Digital
Release Date: November 8, 2019

Lulu Fall isn’t your typical jazz vocalist – she’s a formally trained singer with a hand in musical theatre productions as well as more traditional musical projects. Her identity as the child of Sengalese and Cameroonian parents – and the resulting inner turmoil of not being American enough for her American peers and not African enough for her African family – is evident in her newest album, Between Two Worlds.

Falling somewhere between jazz and contemporary R&B, this album showcases Fall’s songwriting versatility and striking vocals. The lyrics of the opening title track describe her experience of growing up African American over the top of a funky beat. Other songs on the album, like “Powerful” and “Runaway,” feature more contemporary R&B influences, often with high energy electronic touches. The closing track, “Where Are We Going?,” features a tribute to Fall’s African roots, further reinforcing her position “between two worlds.”

While Between Two Worlds channels the turmoil of being caught between differing identities, it is also a testament to the beauty of Lulu Fall’s multifaceted background and musical expressions.

Reviewed by Chloe McCormick