It seems amazing that Let The Truth Be Told is Laura Izibor’s debut album – and not only because it’s finally arrived sounding so mature, fully-formed and accomplished. More that the talented young Dubliner has been floating around the national consciousness for quite a few years now (and indeed the international consciousness; Rolling Stone and Vibe have both already tipped her for stardom). Now aged 21, it’s been six full years since she won the 2FM Song Contest, and three since she became the first unsigned artist ever to bag a Meteor.
Not that she’s been hanging around doing nothing in the meantime. When not supporting the likes of John Legend, Estelle, Aretha Franklin and others on tour, she’s spent the best part of the last four years recording this album (various industry shenanigans and A&R personnel changes within her label contributed to the long gestation). Meanwhile, her self-penned songs have already featured in advertisements, TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and the soundtracks of movies such as Seven Pounds and P.S. I Love You.
Without a doubt, Izibor’s music will be even more in demand from film and TV production companies in the coming years. While there’s nothing here that breaks any musical moulds – that’s not the name of the game –from start to finish Let The Truth Be Told is as smooth, soulful and infectious as they come.
Recorded in a variety of locations, including New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dublin, the album was produced by Izibor with the help of several other key players, including Scott Jacoby and Steve Lunt. However, rather than it being a case of too many cooks spoiling the musical broth, or anybody trying to fit Izibor’s honeyed sound into a current trend, the arrangements are very fine indeed, and it all flows wonderfully smoothly.
Lyrically, she sounds wise beyond her relatively tender years. On album opener and first cut ‘Shine’, she sings, “Wake up one morning you realise/Your life is one big compromise/Stuck in the job you swore was only temporary/Feel like the world is passin’ you by/Never done all the things that you wanted to try.” While she may not be singing from personal experience, the delivery is convincingly sassy.
Needless to say, this being an R&B album, most of the songs are about love (of both ‘falling into’ and ‘falling out of’ varieties). On the piano-guided ‘The Worst Is Over’ she croons: “This too will pass/What you feel inside won’t last/I know how you’re feeling/I’ve been there before/He broke your heart and left you crying/All the while he was lying.”
Let The Truth Be Told is as assured and as soulful as debuts come. Combining a reverence for the traditions of R’n’B with a thoroughly modern sensibility, it is a remarkable achievement, instantly putting the beautiful young Dublin singer in the same league as the likes of Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. And that’s the truth.