Laura Izibor live at Crawdaddy, Dublin

It’s always a good sign when the audience are singing along to songs that have yet to see a proper release. But such is the increasingly devoted live following the 20-year-old Dubliner has attracted, tracks from her debut album (not due for release ‘til May ’08) are already familiar to a sizeable chunk of tonight’s sell-out crowd.
No surprises there really, as the former 2FM song contest winner has garnered much attention over the past few years. Her voice and style has inevitably been compared to every soul and r‘n’b singer in pop history, particularly the new breed such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Josh Stone and Amy Winehouse. But to these ears there’s also a strong hint of early Joan Armatrading, especially when Izibor hits the low register.
Opening on her own at the keyboards with the gorgeous pop/soul of ‘Don’t Stay’, the singer was soon joined by a light rhythm section for the remainder of a set that boasted an array of memorable tunes, ranging from the sultry soul of ‘I Don’t Want You Back’ to the gospel-tinged ‘Mmm’. The relative complexity of a song like ‘Look At What You Got’ betrays some serious songwriting chops, while the tone shifts to fun ‘n’ funky on the superb ‘Shine’.
Izibor’s friendly stage persona (she banters with the audience throughout) adds to the intimacy of the show and she comes across as a relaxed, supremely confident performer with a refreshing lack of self-consciousness. In fact, rarely has a home-grown talent seemed to have arrived so fully formed.