It’s always easy to describe an artist by comparing and contrasting her to who she is and isn’t most like. At 23 years young, indie pop artist Vanessa Zamora has been placed in the company of great artists such as Carla Morrison, Julieta Venegas, Natalia LaFourcade, Ximena Sariñana, Ely Guerra, and others. To simply leave it at that, however, misses the point as to what makes her and her debut album, Hasta La Fantasía, great.
Through 10 tracks, Zamora captures listeners with her wistful voice and instruments that complement her vocal work perfectly, creating an atmosphere of subtle melancholia. “Normal,” for instance, is a dreamy number with an uplifting string section with lyrics planted firmly on the ground. Meanwhile, “No” is a powerful number about hopeless romanticism. The chords of an electric guitar float between her verses about yearning for someone who will never reciprocate those same feelings. “Para Siempre” moves along in a similar vein as Zamora sings about wanting something to last forever despite knowing otherwise.
It’s a duality represented well in the album’s title. Is she striving to make her wishes/fantasies come true? Or coming to the conclusion that romance can be devastating even in fantasies? It’s a tug of war at the heart of the album, which includes some her early singles “Otra Vez,” “Correr,” “Te Quiero Olvidar,” and the title track.
Yes, Zamora is as talented as the company she’s been placed in by numerous critics. Her debut album, however, shows that she and her music can stand well enough on their own, no comparisons necessary.
Hasta La Fantasía is available now via Vanessa Zamora Musica/Cosmica Records.