Laura by Diego Garcia
LABEL: Nacional Records

From its opening track, Diego Garcia’s Laura introduces listeners to an epic, yet doomed love. The record tells the story of how a man finds and eventually looses the love of his life. Listeners are brought along through the waves of emotion with Garcia—every revolution about this relationship—as he experienced them.

“You will always live inside my heart / in memories long after we’re apart / even when my days are long and dark / you will always live inside my heart,” Garcia croons on the opening track, “Inside My Heart.”

“The record may have been named after Laura, and every song is about her in theory, but the record tells us more about the man who wrote the record than the woman the songs are about.”

Each song gives listeners a different picture of this relationship, a scrambled timeline of events from the first track where Garcia is ready to say goodbye to the love of his life. The album’s closing track is an anthem laced with Spanish guitars and cellos in which Garcia declares, “To everything there’s a beginning and an end, but in between a reason we can all pretend.”

Throughout the rest of the record we’re given snapshots of a man both trying to save a shattered relationship, and mend his equally shattered heart. From the record’s third track, “Nothing to Hide”: “It’s hard to move on / when the feelings are gone / you know that love fades / in my heart I’ve got nothing to hide / In my heart I’ve got nothing baby.”

The album’s title track is an eerie melody that reveals our object of affection has betrayed our protagonist, and is now with another man. “Another man, no surprise / how soon you turn your pearlish eyes,” Garcia sings ominously. The song’s chorus is chilling, vindictive and sad at the same time:

“Do you still think of me / oh must you think of me / when he whispers ‘I love you’ in your ear / it’s your fault that you think of me / it’s your fault you must think of me / do you laugh or cry when you hear my name / or will you never again”

While the concept may seem cliché to some people, it remains fresh and interesting on this album. Concept albums don't always work, especially in this day of single track downloads, but each song on Laura holds its own just fine. Put together in one solid record, the songs tell an agonizing story that is more about self-discovery.

The record may have been named after Laura, and every song is about her in theory, but the record tells us more about the man who wrote the record than the woman the songs are about. Laura could be anybody, that’s the point. Laura is simply Garcia’s MacGuffin, a necessary explanation for Garcia’s heartache, but not someone we need to waste much time on. Like a great Hitchcockian thriller, the juiciest part of this record is the journey, not the destination. The most compelling part of the record is Garcia’s reflections on the events he depicts, and the struggles he goes through in each song to fix his addled mind and broken heart. How he’s ended up in this state isn’t as interesting as what he’s going to do now that he’s there.

“Laura is Garcia’s debut solo effort. He says that after finishing the record, he feels his heart has healed. Not to wish him further heartbreak, but here’s hoping his future endeavors will be just as compelling.”

Garcia’s vocals are like an angsty Paul McCartney, with a sultry Latin flair. The music is like a slowed down Bachata. The songs can be cried over with a glass of red wine, but also danced to in a salsa club. The Argentine-American songwriter does not forget his roots in his music. Laid over a background of Spanish guitars, soft string instruments, and Latin inspired percussion, the music has a strong sense of Latin American style.

“For the last four years, I’ve been following my instincts in search for a new sound,” Garcia said in a press release from Nacional Records. “A sound that could properly deliver my message on love, or I should say, the ‘malady of love.’ Minor keys, cello, nylon classical guitars, light drums, and wooden tambourines helped create a vibe for me to whisper the words into her ear.”

Diego Garcia is best known as the front man from now defunct indie garage rock band Elefant, whom he was with from 2003 until its demise in 2010.  There’s not a lot of information available about him, but from the few blog posts and interviews that are out there it seems he’s a well-known member of New York’s indie scene.

Laura is Garcia’s debut solo effort. He says that after finishing the record, he feels his heart has healed. Not to wish him further heartbreak, but here’s hoping his future endeavors will be just as compelling.


REVIEWED BY LYDIA SPRAGUE
FAVORITE TRACKS: “Nothing to Hide” • “You Were Never There” • “Under This Spell” • “Laura”

FREE MP3: “You Were Never There”

YOU MIGHT, ALSO BE INTERESTED IN...
“Latin Music á la Mode” by Lydia Sprague