What less could one expect than to fall head first into a lyrical enrapturing, mind consuming and haunting piece of musical art from Emeli Sandé during the first song, ‘Selah’, from her new album, Long Live The Angels. With lyrics including “I’m deep up in my womb and I’m kicking on the diaphragm” and “funny when I feel the choke of the umbilical, my soul gets deeper, songs get real spiritual” you rapidly begin anticipating how Sandé is going to explain where life has taken her these past four years since Our Version Of Events.

Returning from what has felt like a few short decades to die-hard fans and a long ass while to general folk who couldn’t help but fall for the power-ballad yet also subtle tones of Sande; you quickly make yourself aware that – she certainly has not lost it!

As soon as you’ve let go of the delicate tones of ‘Selah’ you are taken into a complete ulterior universe with ‘Breathing Underwater’. Grand in sound and inspiring in essence, lyrics such as “every moon and star knows who you are, so if it ever gets dark, you’re not alone”, ‘Breathing Under Water’ leaves with you the implication that a story is about to unfold, flowing with heartache and triumph – in true Sandé style.

Moving into the early middle stages of Long Live The Angels, Sandé beckons us down a dark corridor into a story of a love that was powerful, but wrong with ‘I’d Rather Not’, ‘Shakes’ and ‘Hurts.’ ‘Shakes’ is a song that expresses “cause baby when you’re gentle, that’s all it takes, and oh my heart it breaks, and oh my soul it shakes.” This beautiful number takes you back to pure Sandé essence, simply standing her voice next to the evocative tones of a soft piano and the balladic melodies of sweet violins. Something purely splendid ensues.

Slowly picking up a light in the dark, Long Live The Angels begins to show a turn around in Sandé’s emotions. ‘Tenderly’ – an upbeat song about unity – find’s Sandé calling on those sweet backing singers she leads so well, to push the positive message that while “dogs they bite and it’s cold at night”, “if you can trust a stranger… do your best to let them know they’re not alone.”

Two true treats on Sandé’s album are ‘The Architect’ and ‘Lonely’. ‘The Architect’ plays on the use of metaphors and higher-being implications, a regular occurrence in Sandés music, as can be thematically seen during songs such as ‘Heaven’ in her past, relying just on the pure sounds of a sweet piano and carrying you away with the lyrics: “Oh sweet architect, my bones are heavy and my souls a mess… Build me up, build me up.” ‘Lonely’ uses beautiful lines such as “and trying to explain why some days hurt more than others, is like asking rain to sing above the thunder” to serve a powerful metaphor of how we all feel at times; and neither song can help but let a tear evade your eyes.

It’s true to say – Emeli Sandé has significantly landed back in town.

Long Live The Angels is out now via Virgin Records. 

Mickey F