I was sitting in my room doing work on Feb. 24 when my phone lit up with a notification: “Roberta Flack, enduring songstress, dies at the age of 88.” My heart dropped; for me, Roberta Flack is one of those people whose voice you imagine as soon as you hear their name, and Flack had one of the most powerful voices of her time. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is iconic in its own right, but any time I hear it, I am transported to the passenger seat of my mom’s car, Flack’s voice thundering through the speakers as I quietly sing along, careful not to get so into it that I can’t hear the track. This week’s Test Spin is a review of the 1973 record Killing Me Softly in honor of Roberta Flack — thanks for always tugging at my heartstrings in just the right way.
The album starts with the titular “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” which opens with chilling vocals filled with feeling. The song may have been originally written for and sung by Lori Liberman and eventually remade by the Fugees, but this is the version, and I will not be taking any further questions on that matter. The chorus is an inescapable earworm, as Flack croons “Strumming my pain with his fingers / Singing my life with his words / Killing me softly with his song.” “Killing Me Softly With His Song” is slow and melodic but potent, packing a punch with its lyrics. Even Marvin Gaye recognized the power of Flack’s rendition and encouraged her to record it after she used it to open for him. Gaye told Flack, “Baby, don’t ever do that song again live until you record it.”
Next is “Jesse,” featuring a stirring piano and string component. It’s soft like its predecessor, but her vocals are so visceral that I shiver listening to them. Her partner, Jesse, has left her, and she misses him — “And I’m keeping the light on the stairs / No, I’m not scared / I wait for you / Hey Jesse, it’s lonely, come home,” she sings melancholily. “No Tears (In the End)” includes some funky electric guitar, courtesy of Eric Gale. Flack’s voice builds in the second verse of this more upbeat track. Its long outro uses repetition effectively, leaving the song lingering in your head long after you’ve finished listening.
“I’m the Girl” is one of Killing Me Softly’s best — a heartbreaking song about loving someone dearly and knowing you’re just a stop on the way for them. It’s such a soulful song that I get the chills every time I hear it. Flack wallows, “I am the girl that he calls up at 3 / And I am the one who will go / I’d be so terribly happy to be / The one who says yes after you have said no.” “River” sees more fun guitar licks and a call and response refrain that makes for a more cheerful experience after the ideal soundtrack for sobbing into your pillow.
“Conversation Love” may be the least notable song on Killing Me Softly, but it’s also more positive and helps round the album out a bit, as Flack sings “And haunting ghosts can replay their part / To keep tender smiles down / Don’t let them turn you around / The answer’s clear / Your peace has always been right here.” “When You Smile” is jazzy and peppy — someone was clearly making her happy!
Killing Me Softly closes out with “Suzanne,” a song originally written by Leonard Cohen that slowly builds for a masterclass in soul. Flack’s voice reverberates and grows larger and larger as the song goes on, eventually enveloping you, the listener, completely. As a whole, this record is a testament to the power of Roberta Flack — not just her voice, but her ability to make you feel things. That’s how she’ll be remembered.
Test Spins is a fortnightly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every other Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at slevinton@cornellsun.com.
