Lisa Morales

As poor consolations go, “it’s an honor just to be nominated” doesn’t hold a candle to “well, at least you got a song out of it.” Even in a bum economy, great art in exchange for a soul-gutting emotional apocalypse is a lousy bargain, and Lisa Morales would have to be a true masochist to want more of whatever hell she went through to come up with Beautiful Mistake. As far as making lemonade out of lemons goes, though, this solo debut from one half of San Antonio’s Sisters Morales is a triumph. According to the bio on her website, the songs were born out of Morales’ struggle to come to grips with the death of her mother; but even a casual listen suggests an evidentally devastating rift on a romantic relationship front as well. The double-whammy loss of both mother and lover is addressed point blank in “They’re Gone” (“They left me like a hurricane/hollowed out a part of me within”), though in the aftermath she finds some solace in knowing that at least her mother cared. It might be wrong to brand Beautiful Mistake an actual “divorce” or even “break-up” album, as Morales herself has opted not to, but suffice it to say that Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks plays like a honeymoon suite compared to the emotional bloodletting going on in songs like “You Forgot to Love Me” and “Don’t Want to Hear What You Have to Say.” All’s fair in this love war, though, as Morales actually directs many of her hardest blows on herself (“I have grown apart from you/Accused you of what I do,” she confesses on the stunning opener, “I Am the Weakest”); and elsewhere, songs like the bittersweet title track, the lusty “I Wanna Be in Love” and the defiantly optimistic “Looking for Something Beautiful” all hint at a slow healing already underway. Even at its most beautifully distraught, though, Beautiful Mistake positively soars as a showcase for Morales’ voice, which is as strong and frequently flat-out dazzling throughout the album as her melodies. Having never followed Sisters Morales’ career too closely, I can’t really comment on how much or how little of a departure this is for her; but even as an introduction, it’s a revelation — and as heart-rending and riveting a record that you’re likely to hear from any serious singer-songwriter this year. — RICHARD SKANSE - Lone Star Magazine

As one half of 1990s Tex-Mex favorites Sisters Morales, Lisa Morales trekked from her native Tucson, Ariz., to Texas, shunning Nashville, Tenn., for an indie path. Beautiful Mistake reveals her unerring ear and compelling voice amid patchwork originals of wistful country ("Looking for Something Beautiful"), tender balladry ("I Can't Stop Thinking"), and all-out rock ("Drivin and Cryin"). Yet it's the dirty backseat allure of "I Wanna Be in Love" that makes Morales memorable: "I wanna hold your hand/I wanna wear your shirt/I wanna smell your smell/Baby take off my skirt." 
 - Austin Chronicle

Regrets I have none, but a recent wish for real, that I could be one of the musicians allowed to play on the next record Lisa Morales makes. Even if it’s just an unmiked tambourine down the hallway, give me some headphones!

A lot of people, I counted 15 in the credits, worked with Ms. Morales in the making of this record. They created a masterpiece.

Y’all go buy this CD. Her dedication on the inside front page provides insight into her purpose, and what she accomplished with these songs: “To those who have to lose themselves to find the stronger person inside.”

An apparently small woman, Ms. Morales demonstrates that physical size is not real size. She shows up with a quiet, a sad, a sensitive, a strong, a big voice and a big message for us all couched in the beauty of philosophical love songs, not only romantic but those other kinds of love we all encounter; soulful poetry about eternal human concerns in our contemporary lives.

The arrangements, the melodies, the excellence of the music, the musicians, and the technicians, her voice with its subtle expressiveness giving deep meaning to her words, I haven’t the gift to write it down to get across the effect the songs have had on my heart.

The way she uses language, repeats certain words or lines, the unexpected next thought, and the variety of song formats all fitting within the general realm of rock, astonishing and moving!
It’s all right if words fail me!

Disclosure: I recorded the CD on my Mac, then burned it to another disc and eliminated “I Don’t Want to Hear What You Have to Say” and “Get Me Out of Here”. They were well done for what they are, but not for everyone, i.e., your possibly too persnickty reviewer. My personal preferences don’t change the fact that this is a great record.

Musicians: Lisa Morales: vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
Michael “Cornbread” Traylor: bass, vocals, electric guitar
Ron Flynt: keyboards, vocals, mellotron, piano
Mark Patterson: drums
Scrappy Jud Newcomb: dobro, electric guitar
Matt Giles: electric guitar, slide
Scott Bucklin: piano
Walt Wilkins: vocals
Dustin Welch: vocals
Hunt Sales: drums
Tcharko Jeen: electric guitar
Rick Richards: drums, percussion
Technicians: Ron Flynt engineered, Ryan Freeland mixed, Jerry Tubb mastered.
Recorded at Jumping Dog Studio, Austin, Texas
Mixed at Stampede Origin Studios
Mastered at Terra Nova Digital Audio
Photography & Design by Alexandra Valenti
The only thing I don’t understand is the hat.
Okay, there’s a lot I don’t understand. - Uncommon Music

This album marks Lisa Morales’ beautiful first step away from her sister Roberta and Sisters Morales. It turns out that Lisa has been a diva in disguise. She sings the love songs of a strong grown woman in a voice that demands that you look her in the eye. One imagines her singing a roadhouse into rapt attention. The rhythm section rocks hard when it needs to, led by Michael Cornbread Traylor on bass. All of the songs are superbly crafted with verbal and aural hooks. The Tex-Mex influences are not as apparent as they are in her work with her sister, but the years of playing live give her music a Texas flavor delivered with an air of authority. “You Forgot To Love Me,” a quiet ballad with a memorable slide guitar drone is a striking change of pace, highlighting Morales’ simple but elegant lyrical style. “You’ve got to fill up the passion jar or I won’t breathe/ You’ve got to touch me if you’re sleeping next to me.” This is a very complete work from a woman whose talent demands the spotlight. —Michael Devlin - Music Matters