Color EP, Lido Pimienta

Color EP, Lido Pimienta
Independiente, Colombia
Rating: 89
By Carlos Reyes

Colombian darling Lido Pimienta would qualify as one of those true shining definitions of artistic truism. Her artiste qualities as a singer, writer and illustrator not only speak for themselves, they outshine their own spectrum. Lido currently resides in Canada, where she studies Art Criticism-Curation and forms part of the Tiny Box collective, in short, she’s surrounded by color and to everyone’s luck, she’s aware of it. Color EP marks her first official release, an incredibly confident breakthrough album that's already on the shortlist for best EP of the year.

The structure of the EP is simple, eight delightful songs divinely connected to Lido’s vivid persona, all envisioned and executed for the senses. The album’s first single “Mueve” is bombastic in a supreme league (you know, up there with T.I.’s “What You Know”). Her gifted vocals direct to a very ambitious song on cosmopolitanism and inner strength/choice. “La vibracion te guiara... y la musica te calma y sana”, it goes beyond its words to literally loop music from one state to another, and from one purpose to another. It’s that endless sense of possibilities that make “Mueve” such a comforting piece, that ability of connecting to any of its layers.

While listening to the culturally unifying intro “Humano”, one can’t help but to feel a certain healing process through the vocal’s smooth pacing and its occasional encounters with desperation. “Aqui Conmigo” serves great as a pastiche of pop music, resembling Javiera Mena’s “Perlas” and even Jay Z’s “Empire state of the mind” in the way it spills into space and comes back as she sings “explosiones de besos te voy a dar.”

Color EP goes from suggestive to a strong rampage of political concern; luckily, it stays on its premise of placing color as the main negotiator of its topics. This explains why the political reflecting songs are enclosed with Colombian folklore. “La Minga” and “La Rata” are particularly attached to Colombia's tropical bravura. “La Minga” forefronts the campesino anxiety to keep its land, confronting the 21st century cubicle worker along the way. "La Rata" is a heart punch to corruption and our participation with 'the system.'

The rock edge and march-stream in “Progreso” is in a whole new league, a touching chant for Colombia’s progression towards peace, “viviendo en tinieblas, no mas… es nuestro progreso lleno de bondad, llegando hacia la cima, todo el amor ya sin sufrimiento, Colombia vendra hacia la paz." Later, it cheers "no fallara! no fallara! Colombia vendra hacia la paz!" The closing English-language track “Freedom” is a crystallized and delicate, “defend your freedom.” Lido understands composition and art as an ongoing stimulating medium (‘the triangular prism’). Having said that, her songs display as much personality as musicality. A stunning debut whether in chops or its entirety.

♫♫♫ "Aqui Conmigo"

MySpace