Whats on My iPhone

A very promising debut from the Irish soulstress., June 16, 2009

Dubbed ‘the soul of Ireland’, the stunningly beautiful Laura Izibor (born Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish R&B Singer.
Her hit single “Shine” was the lead track of the movie Nanny Diaries. She is also famous for her song “From My Heart to Yours” featured as an episode opener on Grey’s Anatomy. Her music has been included on the Hilary Swank film “P.S. I Love You”, the hit and more recently “Seven Pounds” (Will Smith).
As well as performing numerous sold-out shows in Ireland, Laura has opened for luminaries such as Angie Stone, James Brown, The Roots, Estelle, Jamie Cullum and Al Green.
She spent four years in a diverse range of cities like New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin among them, crafting her debut album, writing and arranging the songs herself and resisting the urge to hook up with any bigname collaborators. “It’s a sincere record”, she says. “I didn’t want to be anybody’s protégé. It’s very tempting to put in the reinforcements, but for my debut album I wanted it to be 100% from me”.
In the US, music bible “Rolling Stone” tipped her as one of the hottest “Artists To Watch” alongside Aussie Daniel Merriweather’s “Love & War”.
Drawing stylistic comparisons to seminal soul singers such as Candi Staton, Roberta Flack, and Aretha Franklin, “Let The Truth Be Told” anchors itself firmly in classic R ‘n’ B, and has all the hallmarks of a soul classic — beautifully produced, the lush arrangements only serve to complement a magnificent vocal performance. Written and co-produced by the 21 year-old Laura herself, “Let The Truth Be Told” is a fitting display of a formidable talent at work.
The album is a melodic journey of soul. Peaceful and easy to listen and sing along to, this should be a consideration for any fans of the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae or Alicia Keys.
It showcases ten soulful, heart wrenching, well crafted songs which fly by leaving you wanting more. They will leave you wondering where you’ve heard it before, however.
From the breezy sunshine pop of “Shine” to the hip-poppy “From My Heart to Yours” which possess a certain summery charm, to the dreamy love lament “If Tonight Is My Last” and the gospel-infused “Mmm”, it’s Laura’s incredible ear for melody and feel for a groove that sparkles. The album is layered with the rich sounds of vintage soul mixed with a modern freshness that’s all Laura’s own.
Comparisons to Alicia Keys and Roberta Flack are encouraged by the piano on which Izibor wrings out every emotive note. Like Aretha and Roberta, Laura is as comfortable being tender on “If Tonight Is My Last” and bluesy on “Don’t Stay”, as she is going all feisty on “Perfect World” or mixing in some mellow gospel on “Mmm”.
The latter track is a stripped-back, piano led-number with gospel overtones and gorgeous central vocal. It’s hard to believe that Izibor is from Ireland: her sound is so polished that you could swear she was from the US.
However, pop parallels aside, Laura Izibor possesses enough skill and substance to become a major new name in R&B.
She certainly has the voice, even if her biggest challenge will be finding her own
2009 looks set to be an incredible year for Laura.
My highligts: “Shine”, “Mmm” and “Don’t Stay”.
Expect big things…
Love & War

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