Carla Morrison: NPR Music Field Recordings

"Out of the City"
"Eres tan moderno, que mis caricias ya son anticuadas," Mexican singer Carla Morrison croons to an indifferent lover in "Falta De Respeto" ("Disrespect"). That beautiful line— which translates as "You are so modern that my caresses are antiquated" — captures Morrison's essence. Part tragic heroine, part bold feminist, she's always a pining romantic, yet she won't sit pretty in a corner and wait to be swept off her feet. She'll get in your face and tell you just howmuch she loves you.

She does it in an impossibly sweet, crystal-clear voice. Morrison's style indeed belongs to another era, recalling romantic balladeers like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Her unabashedly lovelorn lyrics and impeccable vocals can seem anachronistic, but when we dropped her in a busy New York park — where she joined guitarist Andres Landon and percussionist Miguel Sandoval — even the most fashionable passersby had to slow down and soak up this rare artist's music. -- JASMINE GARSD

Credits:
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Saidah Blount, Felix Contreras; Audio Engineer:Kevin Wait; Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Nick Michael; Editor: Christopher Parks; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins.

See more Field Recordings at: npr.org/series/144918893/field-recordings