Diego Garcia – Laura Album Review

Vee Hua 華婷婷2 min readApril 20, 20115 comments

As the former frontman for New York-based indie band Elefant, Diego Garcia is a singer-songwriter one will either love or hate. On his latest disc, Laura, his lyrics are not particularly noteworthy, but the overall musical atmosphere certainly is.

Album standouts like the sultry “Roses & Wine” and the Spanish-guitar-laden “Inside My Heart” have immediate staying power, luring listeners into a sonic chamber of love. These songs are hypnotically sexy — mood music to which one should bathe in rose petals or delight in exquisite morsels of chocolate. Whether it’s intentional or not, Garcia certainly takes the Latin lover appeal and runs with it, with sensual music and lyrics which detail love and heartbreak in quite a literal manner.

For some, Garcia’s lyrics will come at just the right time, reflecting just the right sentiments. For others, the lyrics will be the deal breaker. They are exceptionally literal, and generally quite somber; “Nothing To Hide” lives up to its namesake with the lyrics, “Baby, you know the skies will be clear/ And oh, baby, how I wish you were here/ In my heart/ I’ve got nothing to hide,” and other tracks, like “Stay” and “Inside My Heart” do similarly.

What is to be loved about Garcia’s music is rather inexplicable, and lies in its simplicity. Garcia’s music is appealing on the basest of emotional levels. If lyrics are not of particular importance to you, Laura might indeed be the perfect mood music for romance.

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Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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