Higher Love
Winston-Salem, NC

The centerpiece of Becca Stevens’ third LP, Perfect Animal, is a stunning reinvention of Steve Winwood’s soul-pop classic “Higher Love.” Stevens—a classically trained guitarist and jazz vocalist— deconstructs this ubiquitous hit to its core with dissonant chords and ghostly harmonies. That’s one of her true gifts: juxtaposing the familiar with the ethereal. “I heard that tune come on the radio when I was at the grocery store and suddenly got goosebumps,” Stevens says. “I’d heard it a hundred times before, but this time, a doorway flung open.” Like her earlier LPs, Perfect Animal features a blend of mind-bending covers (Frank Ocean’s lush R&B slow-jam “Thinkin Bout You”) and originals that veer between serene folk and textured art-pop. Stevens worked with producer Scott Solter for over a year, exploring the studio through extensive editing and overdubbing. But through all the software trickery, Stevens’ sweetly seductive voice speaks loudest. “I felt like I’d climbed to the top of Mount Everest,” she says of the one-week marathon vocal session. “I remember, the last few days, feeling like I had lightning in my fingertips, that I was floating through the music while I was singing.” Listening to her music brings a similar sensation.