The Wonderful Stylings of Vanessa Leonardo

Vanessa Leonardo is a name that may very well soon become a household one in the music industry. Having been a singer/songwriter for a number of years now, her career has recently picked up momentum, having booked shows at various places in New York City including The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, Crash Mansion, and Galapagos Art Space for the SAFER benefit. More recently, she has started collaborating with a band, composed of bass player Nicholas Mazza and Mark Joinnides on drums. These instruments add elements of complexity to Leonardo’s songs, as well as lending them more of a rock vibe, which presents a nice contrast to her more mellow folk songs. Despite this, she has no intention of dropping her acoustic writing and performing, which is where her lyrics and vocal talents are really brought to life. Watching Leonardo sitting on stage alone, strumming the guitar or playing the piano, it is impossible for one not to be taken in by the powerful emotions her songs exude.

Leonardo’s debut album, “Wonder,” is a perfect display of the talents mentioned above. It is an interesting combination of hopeful, upbeat pieces with others that are more haunting and dark, due in part to the skillful incorporation of minor chords into the melodies. The band is not present on these tracks; however, Giovanna Leonardo, Vanessa’s sister, provides the harmony on a few songs and is the other voice in the duet on “Alone.” The song has a slightly melancholy air, yet, with the mix of the gentle guitar sound and the two women’s delicate voices, the song also takes on a peaceful and angelic tone. At times, it is reminiscent of Jewel’s sound early on in her career.

Another unique characteristic of “Wonder” is how the songs can be interpreted a multitude of ways; some seem to be talking about family or friends, whereas others like “Follow You” and the title track can be read as being about lovers. In this way, the album can easily relate to a variety of life experiences, which is not a very common attribute in much of today’s pop culture music.

Hopefully, Leonardo will not keep us waiting too long and will soon produce a follow-up album to the very successful first one. As her distinct sound continues to develop, she will undoubtedly continue to impress listeners with her talents. In the meantime, however, check out http://www.myspace.com/vanessaleonardo for upcoming performances and new songs!