Rosa

Described by some as a Portuguese Billie Holiday, jazz-trained Luísa Sobral uses her fifth release to become a kind of sultry Suzanne Vega, sharing short stories about everyday dramas and confiding her innermost thoughts. Her voice has an impressive range, in terms of the highs and lows she effortlessly hits and in the textures and timbres she produces. With only the most delicate backing from electronic keyboards, acoustic guitar or woodwind, she never needs to belt it out; indeed, the songs on Rosa have the quality of a moody soundtrack for one actor: a solitary, reflective female singer (Sobral is a fan of French film and of fado, that most melancholy of genres after all).

A winner of a Portuguese equivalent of the show Pop Idol and still only 31 years old, she exudes great maturity and poise as both singer and songwriter. ‘O Verdadeiro Amor’ recalls Jacques Brel in its lilting phrases. On ‘Dois Namorados’ she multi-tracks her voice to create delicious harmonies and ‘Não Sei Ser’ quotes Radiohead. Produced by Raül Refree (responsible for albums by Mala Rodríguez, Silvia Pérez Cruz and Rosalía), this is a quite beautiful and strangely compelling set of songs and stories by a genuine talent.