The Review: Laura Izibor Issues Soulful Truth

Date: 07/03/09 | By Lauren M Walker
Filed under: Reviews, Laura Izibor

Irish born R&B singer/songwriter Laura Izibor fuses pop with a big helping of soul on her debut album "Let the Truth Be Told".

Laura Izibor, joining Maxwell on tour this summer, could be seen as Ireland’s answer to Alicia keys with heavy piano based songs.

For those who love her more popular songs “From My Heart to Yours” and “Don’t Stay,” you will enjoy an entire album of the same tempo and overall sound of these singles.

While Izibor is a piano playing songstress like her R&B counterpart Alicia Keys, her genre classification is somewhat unknown, in that her voice says soul but her melodies scream something else. We can take note of her vocal range in the song “What Would You Do” where she plays with different registers all with her piano in toe. Overall, Izibor has a soulful voice thick as gumbo and a refreshing songwriting talent, as exhibited in the song “Mmm,” where she merely hums the chorus.

The album is short in that it only offers 10 tracks of her very soulful Joss Stone sounding voice. All the songs are mid- to slow-tempo pop/acoustic songs which in return causes them to pretty much sound the same.

"Let the Truth Be Told" doesn’t really tickle my particular fancy but her vocals can’t be denied, Laura Izibor can definitely sing. She has one of those powerhouse voices that will give the likes of Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone a run for their money. If you’re in the mood for a jazzy- pop- acoustic-soul mix then this album will suit your needs to a tee.

Laura Izibor's "Let The Truth Be Told" is available now in stores and through digital retailers.