IZO FITZROY "A Good Woman" (Jalapeno)
Add Date: 4/25/2023
Release Date: 4/28/2023
FCC: Clean
Focus Tracks: Chasing Days, Keep Your Light
Formats: NACC Top 200, Non-Comm AAA, Submodern, R&B/Soul
RIYL: Adele, Amy Winehouse, Minnie Ripperton
It’s a spiritual thing.
The third and most personal album from soul and gospel star Izo FitzRoy is a stunning and powerful reflection on her personal journey.
A journey that starts with becoming disconnected from herself through depression, and finally coming home to herself. A reclamation of what it means to her to be a woman today and how that sonically translates to her as an artist.
The album takes Izo’s songs to a new territory which is vibrant and ecstatic musically, with lyrics ranging from introspective and soul searching to uplifting and empowering.
“The title track ‘A Good Woman’ sums up the essence of the album. A take on what it means to be ‘a good woman’ in society. What labels we are given as women, or the roles we feel we need to fill to be seen as ‘good’ or ‘successful’.
The album is in part autobiographical and takes a wider look at being a woman in a male dominated industry and living in a patriarchal society. I tried to look at the myriad of ways that women, (myself included), have given away their autonomy and power to institutions, labels and people”.
Opener Hope Divine is the start of Izo’s journey into rebuilding a connection with what it means to be a woman, and reconnecting with the body. Musically and lyrically it’s about coming back to life after a period of intense self doubt.
This leads into Chasing Days an upbeat and instantly memorable summer anthem paying tribute to driven and ambitious women everywhere.
Musical light and shade can be seen with B side opener God Gets A Little Busy Sometimes. A haunting piano and powerhouse vocal drive the first half of this track before band reveal themselves for its climax.
“The song is about the deep lack of safety I feel at times as a woman, in myself and in my body and sexuality, and how I have looked outside of myself to be “saved”.
God in the title references me relying on my Catholic upbringing when I was younger, hoping that might be my refuge, then later with men - relying on relationships to save or protect me, and even joining a cult for women, after my father died in 2010.
It’s about all the ways I have abandoned myself in the hope of being saved elsewhere before eventually finding my way back to me and a reclamation of my power”.
Further contrast can be found in Call Me Pilgrim, a song inspired by raw, soulful folk singers like Richie Havens and Joan Baez about the constant search for a meaning in life, always looking for answers, and taking the road less travelled. Not looking for salvation in gods and gurus but an internal quest.
The album closes with a cover of Love & Affection –one of the greatest ever love songs written by the legend Joan Armatrading.
“I have always been a huge fan of Joan Armatrading since I was young. She has the ability to create a deeply intimate world with the simplest of words. This album so heavily centres around the vulnerability and strength of women, and for me, Joan exudes this so confidently in her artistry”.
The album is the first fruit of a production collaboration with Oscar De Jong of Dutch electronic act Kraak & Smaak for whom Izo has previously guested.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Oscar who is not only a phenomenal musician and producer, but he is also an immensely open and supportive collaborator. This album has been a collaborative process from start to finish: from writing and recording, to the final production of each track”.
A Good Woman will be released on 28th April on LP / CD / Digital formats.