Track Review: "Criminal", Hello Seahorse!

HELLO SEAHORSE! - Criminal
Mun
Bestia
Rating: 9.0

(7.5) Andrew Casillas. For an album that tries to sound as deliberately paranoid as Bestia, "Criminal" is a breath of pine scented air. Beginning with a fairly typical post-punk instrumental, Lo Blondo's vocals float over the track in an almost prescient fashion, at least until the 2 and a half minute mark, where the vocals actually float. From there, the tempo gets kicked up as "Criminal" goes into dance party mode. What's that, a Hello Seahorse! song that you can dance to?! YES. If only the whole thing were just the second half...

(9.2) Carlos Reyes. The third single from Bestia is a brilliant moment of clarity for Hello Seahorse! “Criminal” is in itself, an encounter of the band’s former sound in composition with their inner desire. It starts on violent passionate terms “Se me secaron las lagrimas de mi mente criminal” that could’ve been part of The Honeymoon Killers or even more interesting Profundo Carmesi, only to shift the music through a vey danceable tune that makes the whole situation hypnotic and spellbinding. Death, sacrifice and promises are elevations of a narrative that ends up being supportive to their smash it “Bestia” and a mesmerizing hymn of its own.

(9.5) Jean-Stephane Beriot. As the months pass by I become more attached to the lastest album by HS!, not only for its emotionally-driven songs but also for its fearful premise. “Criminal” is one of several songs that bleeds feeling from its core and yet feels like it could’ve been part of Hoy a las Ocho. I’m going to sound like the guys from Pitchfork when they review Spanish-language albums but sometimes I do struggle to get some of the lyrics and as a funny fact, it bothered me that the song states that everyone has a poem inside, sounded cheesy as hell but I had to revise my statement once I learned it says “everyone has a beast inside” and it just redefined the song completely. A knockout!

(9.7) Juan Manuel Torreblanca. This song is the bomb! A complex piece built upon several parts; brilliant melodies, crunchy and exciting beats, deeply woven synths, & (finally) a dancey upbeat groove that links it to Hello Seahorse’s past without disconnecting from the concept that the first hit off the record Bestia established for the whole. On the contrary, “Criminal” elaborates on it bringing us to the marrow: todos tenemos una bestia por dentro que vive de nuestras lágrimas y fracasos, pero duerme si le hacemos entender que su papel es existir y no insistir… genius. And how exquisite is that voice?

Track Review: "She's My Man", Bigott

BIGOTT - "She's My Man"
Grabaciones en el Mar
Album: Fin
Rating: 8.2

(8.1) Andrew Casillas. What we have here appears to be the long-lost Lou Reed single produced by Tom Waits in a villa outside of Saint-Denis. My personal highlight of Fin, the track is a love song in the most unusual sense. The "shimmy, shimmy" refrain suggests a sort of playfulness, while many of the lyrics ("She is my man, and my dog forever") implies domination, like the tale of two lovers stuck between civility and sexual carnage. A little biting, a little whimsical, a little (dare I say) erotic, "She is my Man" is a slinky tale of modern love.

(8.4) Carlos Reyes.“She’s My Man” is the evocative folky first single from Bigott’s outstanding Fin; it is also an unusual love letter of full meaning and implications. It’s barely two minutes and a half and yet is able to underline a meaningful line of adjectives one is able to put on the table for the one special individual rocking our world. Beautiful patterns, strings, and let’s not forget about those echoed reverbs that come and go as if they collapsed with walls. Not as breathtaking as “Algora Campeon” but it’s the second piece that gives me shivers (in the best way possible).

(8.6) Jean-Stephane Beriot. Bigott does Iron & Wine in one of the many great pieces from his latest album. This is his best moment since “Vamos a Morir” (from What a Lovely Day Today), from its first strings to its female vocal complementation “She’s My Man” triumphs in its quest of showcasing love at its highest realm: sacrifice. Ladies, he is not telling you to be his dog, he’s ready to let all these things go for the love. It might sound too American, but who cares?

(7.5) Juan Manuel Torreblanca. A comment found in a blog that featured this song reads: qué simpática y qué agradable de escuchar, verdad? I believe it sums the brilliant ditty spot on. ‘She's my man’ can’t be judged under the same lights our last two tracks were, mainly ‘cause the intentions of this insanely moustached Spaniard seem radically different. Bigott nods to the revival of Americana folk-rock with a fresh feeling (and electronic hints). His lyrics follow the less is more principle (the whole songwriting does) and a surreal breeze reminds us that this guy isn’t trying to be the queen of pop nor an epic rockstar, he’s probably just trying to make good music & have fun.

"She's My Man"

Track Review: "Deja Vu", Gustavo Cerati

GUSTAVO CERATI - "Deja Vu"
Sony International
Album: Fuerza Natural
Rating: 6.8

(7.0) Andrew Casillas. {Yawn} Another good Gustavo Cerati song. OK, that first sentence was a joke. Sort of. I mean, it's not a slight to say that a Cerati track is good, but as a comeback single, this doesn't exactly reach a discernible peak. Regardless, the subtle U2-ness of the guitar lines and background vocals are a pleasant reminder of what makes this guy one of the most vital Latin rockers ever, and coincidentally a reminder of how bad that last U2 album was as well. No Line on the Horizon WISHES it had a song this good on it.

(6.2) Carlos Reyes. Cerati should and has all my respect as one of our times most creative individuals, it’s only fair to expect extraordinary things from him, you know like something as sublime as “Crimen.” The leading single from Fuerza Natural falls short from impressive, but of course you know those visionaries hardly deliver a bad song and “Déjà vu” is just that, a dense and washed but functional hymn that it’s so perfectly executed it becomes a misguided crowd-pleaser. It’s relatable and what not, but above all, it’s a ‘been there done that’ kind of song.

(6.0) Jean-Stephane Beriot. As opposed to most of you Soda Stereo wasn’t one of my first encounters with RockEnEspañol, as a matter of fact, I think I never had to deal with such an flawed tag. By the time I got into Latin American music Cerati was wining me over as a one-man-act extravaganza, so I’m clearly a fan of the mind and kind of an outsider of the band phenomenon. “Déjà vu” is however, a tricky and easy to dismiss good bad song.

(8.0) Juan Manuel Torreblanca. Expert songwriting. Perfect pop structure; nice buildup, clear & memorable melodies, witty (very Cerati) poetic lyrics. I’ve been a fan from S.S., which is good & bad when it comes to receiving his new stuff. It must be hard to be someone like him. We probably ask too much from him. I love the song, but it doesn’t break my heart, it doesn’t get me out of bed wanting to hear it, wanting to take a shower listening to it dancing, it doesn’t change my life. His voice is in top form, yes, beautiful phrasing & flow. The whole performance is impeccable. But, ironically, the song as a whole represents its title a little bit too well: déjà écouté.

Track Review: "Loba", Shakira

SHAKIRA - "LOBA"
Sony Music Entertainment
Album: She Wolf
Rating: 7.4

(9.7) Andrew Casillas. I've been wrong all of these years. Time after time, I would explain to my gringo friends how Shakira was our Prince. Turns out, she's our Michael Jackson. I mean, get over the polarizing vocals, and the sexy hip shaking, and "Loba" is basically straight out of Off the Wall! The beat doesn't gyrate, as much as it thumps, and the whole track rides the subtle bass funk to the point of saturation. There's also that vague sense of fun/paranoia that MJ was absolutely the best at undertaking, at least until you're forced out onto the dance floor. And with the Spanish version, there's the deft, yet important, double meaning of the title, unlike the English versions bland implications. Also, it has DISCO STRINGS, PEOPLE. Awoooo!

(7.0) Carlos Reyes. Shakira claims “Loba” characterizes the woman of this century when it doesn’t, there was a sexual revolution already. Despite the very ambitious and quite forced theme, she does exorcism the animal inside her in a very seductive, brushed-steel gleaming pop song. It’s kind of hard to shamelessly soak the lyrics considering Jorge Drexler is the co-author of the song, but it’s the only way to find it fully compelling. It does sound great; it’s well sequenced (“mirala caminar, caminarrrrr”), subliminally humorous and its mid-night outburst is appreciated. Awoooo!

(6.7) Jean-Stephane Beriot. I’m pretty sure I prefer “La Tortura”, seriously, it was great to see our popstar (likeit or not) messing daringly with the reggaeton beat. I’m one of those who thinks her music is way ahead of the average top40 artist; Fijacion Oral Vol.1 was quite fantastic. “Loba” is not nearly as interesting as its awesome and very flexible video; still, it makes me move in strange ways and proves how great of an entertainer she really is. I just wish her music would take the risk of her hips and I’m afraid Pharrell won’t help. Awoooo!

(6.0) Juan Manuel Torreblanca. It’s a super-production, sure; this is the LatAm queen of pop. However, there is also something called over-production & I believe this one might suffer a bit from that. The beginning reminds me of Madonna’s intro for music. The lyrics swing shamelessly from naïve to pretentious (she does have the self assurance to deliver them as dead serious as her dance moves in the video, though) so –in the end– I don’t know if she’s laughing with us or we’re laughing at her. And that wee howl! haha… Awoooo!