Album Notes

Isabel and The Whispers is a New York City-based, folk-inspired pop band influenced by artists ranging from Aimee Mann to Astrud Gilberto. Listeners might also hear echoes of artists like Suzanne Vega, The Cranberries, Sarah McLachlan, Karen Carpenter, Judy Collins, and Dido. On this album, the band likes to paint from a free-flowing palette of bittersweet melodies and bare instrumentals that bring out Isabel's pure and delicate singing voice. Their songs are dreamy, soulful, atmospheric, and inspiring as described by fans.

In Isabel’s own words, here is a story behind the making of their album:

“On a sunny, spring day, I was talking with our band drummer, Alec, trying to draw up reasons as to why we should make an album. We had gotten together a few good songs, and it’d be a road not taken. But Alec just looked at me, his eyes twinkling, and said, 'You don’t need a reason.' So it was then that my resolve to make an album crystallized, especially after Octavio joined us on guitar. We all went to a dimly-lit underground studio in Williamsburg to get these songs recorded.

Like love, it took time. Now, finally, our album sees the light of day. There are songs on here like “Dot to Dot,” “Princess” and “Aftersong” that are intimate song-poems that I wrote for the piano before our band got together. Other songs like “Josefina,” “Dancing” and “Bird-Man” share my joy and enchantment with early band life. It made me misty to write “Aftersong,” “Do You Have to See Me Cry” and “High Horse” because they were so cathartic. On the whole, themes we touch on in our songs include love, the inner child, dreams (“Bird-Man,” for instance, is a song that pulls from my dream journal), painting (as a side note, the album cover is an original painting of mine), family dysfunction, and music-making (“Josefina” is an ode to the singers and storytellers in everyone).

Really, my bandmates and I were each our own planets in musical space before we inter-collided and left a stardust of songs in our tracks with this CD. It’s our prayer that you will enjoy it and perhaps let it thaw any corners of your life that need a little sunlight, a little starlight, and a lot of heartsong.”


Isabel and The Whispers are:
Isabel Rivera – vocals, piano
Alec Menge – drums
Octavio Padron – electric guitar

Also featured on their album:
Soils Minor - electric bass guitar
Naomi Rabinowitz – flute