Customer Reviews

Let The Truth Be Told

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Laura Izibor is a 22 year old singer/songwriter of Irish and Nigerian origin. "Let the truth be told" is her debut CD and made the US top 40 (#27). I discovered her from Amazon's reccommendation. She came up while I was writing my review of Maxwell's new CD so I figured she had to be good.

Hers is a piano-driven retro Soul sound with a Jazzy feel, think Alicia Keys, Corinne Bailey Rae, or the AWOL Lauryn Hill and you begin to get the picture. At 10 tracks running just over 37 minutes, she definitely does not overstay her welcome.

Opening the disc is the upbeat horn peppered aptly titled "Sunshine". "Don't stay" is an organ drenched ballad I could imagine Candi Staton singing. This is one of those albums where it is tough to pick standouts. "What would you do" is simply beautiful and so soulful. The more upbeat "From my heart to yours" sets Hip Hop beats to a groovy bassline, a la Lauryn Hill. The swirling "Perfect world" is so Alicia Keys as is the Bluesy "I don't want you back", while the pair of "The worst is over" and "Mmm" (the latter with Gospel-type humming and organs) are delicate stripped piano ballads with her vocals pushed to the fore.

However, as tough as it was, my favourite is the upbeat Hip Hop-tinged "Yes (I'll be your baby)"; horns, hard hitting beats, cascading harmonies and wah wah guitars. Awesome!

What a ride, shame it's over too soon.

The first time I heard of Laura Izibor was on the radio, and the song they were playing was "From My Heart to Yours". I said, WOW, I love this song. So I went on the Amazon website, looked up the artist by name, and found what I was looking for. Then I decided to play the samples to see if the rest of her songs were equally as beautiful, and that is when I decided that I have to have this CD. I recommend it to all music lovers no matter what genre of music you prefer. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! You don't have to take my word for it. Just do as I did, and sample.

The Irish diva is soon to go global via her debut album on Atlantic.

This album from the young Dubliner was set to be released on Jive Records three years ago, but got shelved. Then, another label, Atlantic, took their time in deciding just when it should see be released.

"Let The Truth Be Told" reveals not only that capacious voice, but also a confident commercial songwriter - its collection of wholesome pop being penned entirely by Laura herself.

From soulful ballads through orchestral anthems (all pizzicato strings and sisterhood sincerity) to a clipped and sassy R&B swagger, her take on classic femme soul may not be rocking any boats, but earworms such as "Don't Stay" and new single "Shine" exude enough crossover familiarity to become retail and ringtone fixtures.

The CD is a glossy-sounding album of funky soul-pop tunes with Izibor's unique stamp all over them. Her smoky voice rides over the album's strong melodies and establishes her as one of the current vocalists in today's soul scene.

"...It's so glossy, however, that there's no rough-'round-the-edges charm, or distinctive quality about it." - Lauren Murphy

The first track "Shine" kicks the album off to a slightly energetic start, with a very catchy chorus, but then "Dont Stay", the second song, takes the tempo down a notch or two, while maintaining a swaying rhythm.

In fact she showcases her versatility by switching the tempo throughout the album. "If Tonight Is My Last" is a gorgeous, emotive mid-tempo track whilst "The Worst Is Over" is the album's big piano ballad, and most beautiful moment.

The dreamy "Yes (I'll Be Your Baby)" adds some finger-clicking sass into the mix and has an edgier street sound and you can imagine this ripping up the charts In US, while the likeable "From My Heart to Yours" borrows from the songbook of Lauryn Hill and dramatic piano ballad "Perfect World" from that one of Alicia Keys.

Best, though, is the full-blown gospel soul of "Mmm", which is authentically beautiful.

Expressive and powerful, the Rathfarnham singer is blessed with vocals to elevate even the most banal song.

Not that her voice needs to compensate for weak compositions here : the bulk of these 10 soul songs, mainly written by Izibor, are very well crafted.

"Let The Truth Be Told" is a promising debut album by anyone's standards and hopefully it points to a long and fruitful career. She has an incredible voice, a knack for a melody and an album full of potential hits.

Realistically, it's a very well crafted, inoffensive album which will not break any ground.

There's nothing particularly innovative, but good music nonetheless.

Enjoy this album for the bright songs that will make you smile. Just don't expect too much from it. It won't change your world, it won't make you think deeply about life.

But certainly it will ensure a great career ahead of her.

I admit when I first heard the Laura Izibor song From My Heart To Yours, I thought it was Joss Stone. That's not a knock on either artist because I really love me some Joss Stone, it's just that their voices are similar. I said that to say, I had been looking for the song under the wrong context so it took me a while to figure it out. It was not until I randomly saw the video on MTV a couple months back that I was ENLIGHTENED. Besides after listening to their albums I can now easily tell the difference.

Despite similarities in voice to Joss Stone (hey you can't help that your natural voice happens to sound like someone elses) it doesn't take away from the fact that Laura Izibor is a great songwriter and singer that can also produce and play various instruments and perform extremely well LIVE. She sings with soul and passion over lively and vibrant production that gives the cd a natural quality not heard since Corrinne Bailey Rae's debut album (BTW her new album The SEA coming in January 2010).

LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD doesn't really have any down moments. Every song on this 10 track album is expertly done and fits well within the concept and theme of the album. Nothing feels out of place, tacked on, or a corny attempt to gain attention. Every song is distinct and memorable. It's just great music and she deserves her shine and praise for it. Laura Izibor is a refreshing young singer that you should take a chance on. I guarantee this album will be enjoyed by all who love music. 5 stars.

This is a great debut from a young woman who hails from Dublin. I kept seeing clips of her on the VH1 channel prior to the debut of her lead single, FROM MY HEART TO YOURS. The song is so catchy & infectious that it heightened my anticipation of the album release and I'm happy to say that I'm not disappointed with this purchase.

Because Laura is from another country she does have an affected way of singing and her tone of voice is somewhat similar to Joss Stone. The album is short & sweet at ten tracks but I enjoy listening to most of them so in my book this is a very successful debut - kudos to Laura as another strong singer/songwriter. On a side note, I hope that as the fall season begins, she will get more national exposure on a few of the talk shows so that more people may become aware of her.

It is difficult to pick favorites but the tracks I not only kept on repeat but also put on my ipod are the aforementioned, FROM MY HEART TO YOURS; SHINE; DON'T STAY; PERFECT WORLD; I DON'T WANT YOU BACK & MMM.

I don't usually write reviews of music, books, etc, but I just have to say how much I love this CD! Every song on here is beautifully written and performed. The soulful lyrics speak to me on a totally emotional level, and the beat on all the songs have me patting my feet and snapping my fingers. I feel like I've been to church after listening to it (which I do over and over and over). I highly recommend this CD. This lady is the truth. What a talent!!!

OK, so the year is only half over, but based on the music that has come out over the past few years, this CD is exceptional. Laura sings soul music, plain and simple. It's gutsy, edgy, tuneful, and funky. Nearly every cut is good, and that's a huge compliment. The best part about Laura is that she has her own style. (Izibor reminds me of Alice Smith.) The last track, "Mmmmm" is heavenly. If you don't have it, run out and add this CD to your collection. Highly recommended.

This debut from Laura Izibor is very nice, she reminds me of how I felt when Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys first came out. I'm excited to see where she will go from here. I like all of the tracks but I felt like some of the songs left me feeling like she still had a lot to say and that she didn't quite get it out. I think with growth this will not be a issue and honestly it is just a minor thing for me. Get this album and I think you will be wanting and waiting to hear more from this young lady.

I love, love this cd all the songs are beautifully written and very soulful. Ms. Izibor's first attempt is very impressive, i think she is on the same level as Alicia Keys but with less promotion which is such a shame as she really is talented. I highly recommend this cd.

I saw Laura in concert with Maxwell. Thought she was talented and a beautiful person. I ordered the CD a few months later. It is great. Wished I had listened to it before seeing her live. Buy this one. It's a pleasant surprise!