Laura Lizcano's Jazz-Inspired "True Love" Could Span Decades

Photo by Bob Sweeney

The latest single from Colombian raised, Philadelphia based singer/songwriter Laura Lizcano is a sweet jazzy ballad of epic proportions. Pulling from influences like Norah Jones and Fiona Apple, “True Love” is a seemingly universal love letter with moments of highly personal lyrics and beautifully simplified metaphors. This song has such a timeless feel to it. A brass soundscape lays the foundation for Lizcano’s clear and ringing vocals in a way that makes this song feel like it’s something out of a golden-age Sinatra film. But the moments of edgy trills remind the listener to stay firmly in the present. She navigates this sense of duality both elegantly and expertly.

Recorded with Michael Cumming at Rittenhouse Soundworks, this song booms with an eclectic and vibrant energy, purposefully mimicking the way it feels to fall in true love. With a slow build through the first verse and chorus, Lizcano’s sweet and bouncing melodies will remind you of how good everything feels at the beginning of a relationship. There isn’t a single mournful sound in this whole song, despite lyrics that dip in and out of the realities of love and the acknowledgement that it isn’t always perfect. But for the four and a half minutes Lizcano serenades you, she holds love in a balanced state of bliss. Backed by a horn section arranged by Andrew Carson, “True Love” stands out among the other local Valentine’s Day releases we’ve seen. There’s no essence of angst, heartbreak, or lovesickness in this song at all. Everything’s rose-colored and perfect, and I think that’s a welcomed change. It’s not very often that you hear a truly uplifting love song, but this one is full of nothing but happiness.

Local photographer Bob Sweeney directed a thirty-second highlight video (above) to promote the track before its release, which also hints at the thematic elements of Lizcano’s LP, Heart, due out in May. She has two more single releases planned before the album drops, which discusses the ups and downs of love in your twenties and the struggles of life as a millennial. For as universal and attainable as “True Love” is, we can surely expect the same amount of tactility from Heart as well.

You can find Laura performing at Century on February 15th with My Tam.