Laura Lizcano is intimate and sublime on debut LP Heart

Philly-based Colombian singer-songwriter Laura Lizcano released her latest album, Heart, today. A follow up to her 2018 live EP, Chance on Me, Lizcano’s debut full-length project carries a simple, stunning beauty. Influenced by soul, folk, and jazz singers, like Norah Jones and Natalia Lafourcade, Heart is a lovely fusion of jazz instrumentation and personal, folksy lyricism.

Assisted by Silas Irvine (piano), Dariel Peniazek (guitar), Joe Plowman (bass), Gusten Rudolph (drums), Andrew Carson (trumpet), Sam Bishoff (saxophone), and Nick Lombardelli (trombone), Lizcano’s arrangements place her vocals front and center while still leaving room for a variety of wind riffs, key solos, and drum breaks. Album opener “Hello Old Friend” features swelling wind lines and jazzy piano chords to support Lizcano’s tender lyricism. The entire album feels borne out of a lowkey speakeasy, with a handful of old friends riffing on top of each other. In this context, Lizcano perfectly plays the role of the club performer, with smoky vocals that effortlessly convey a laidback-yet-sensual vibe.

The title track, “Corazón,” is a sure standout from the record, one of the tracks where Lizcano sings in her native Spanish. “Corazon” carries a breathtakingly beautiful melody with sparser instrumentation than the rest of the record: the main percussive elements are guitar strums and the light pattering of a drum. The lyricism is plainly intimate and sublimely subtle: “Quieres escuchar mis versos, quieres ver mi corazón abierto,” Lizcano croons. “You want to hear my verses, you want to see my open heart.”

Lizcano will premiere the album tonight at 7:30 p.m. in a livestream event, along with ThebandIvory, who will be premiering their latest record, Anthropocene. Listen to Laura Lizcano’s Heart here. Register for tonight’s livestream here.