Liset Alea - Heart-Headed (2016)

Liset Alea has the name of chance. Chance that is tossed in the air like the roll of dice, following her footsteps like destiny brimming with surprises and unexpected possibilities. She has lived a thousand lives: born in Havana to an impulsive country man who was working in Fidel’s kitchen and from whom he often stole the occasional piece of meat for the family and a literature major mother who has published some of her erotic poetry. At an early age, she already mastered the art of escape, the immigrant’s task of learning how to leave behind one’s home, family, friends, language, comforts and survive in an unfamiliar place. In 2012, she decides that Paris will be her new “home” and from then on will be touring extensively with Nouvelle Vague as a lead vocalist, with Yasmine Hamdan and Elodie Frégé (a chanson française major figure for whom she also co-writes) as an instrumentalist (bass, percussions, guitar). While not on the road she starts working on what will become “Heart-Headed”, her new album co-produced with Marc Collin. Months in the making, “Heart-Headed” displays a balance of craft and emotion and exhibits the refined craftsmanship of her writing. Her voice, reminiscent at times of Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields), Marianne Faithfull or even a Cuban Lana del Rey, is set against string and flute arrangements, vintage synthesizers and urgent guitars. The first single “Hunter & Tiger”, heralds “Heart-Headed” as an album that comes straight from the heart but remains grounded in the early Rock’n’Roll era echoing Wanda Jackson’s Hard Headed woman.