It's been 7 years since the last Julian Cubillos album and all the way from Queens, New York comes an intriguing listen. Having spent the time in between as a collaborator, this self written and played album is an absolute joy.
His gentle vocal suits so much and here in delicious lo-fi, he wanders across the genres and when he occasionally Rocks out, he does it with verve across unusual inventive arrangements and fascinating riffs. The best example of this is the I Used To Be Someone.
But Cubillos can also be Poptastic, the strumathon of Haunted Paradise is somewhere between Indie Pop, Dream Pop and Guitar Pop. There's also a dance feel to Fruit Stripe as it races along at pace. Yet Portuguese Bend is soulful with an engaging vocal. A little 70s even.
Yet stripped down, he is just as good. The opener, Returning is a surprise choice, with all the left field arrangements elsewhere, it is a straight ahead Acoustic Pop song. Flesh & Blood has a driving bassline and is particularly Pastoral with a slight hint of Psych Pop.
Does It Hurt You is much more in the Psych Pop mould, again laidback, but instrumentally magnificent and hypnotic. It is a cracking listen that mixes the smooth with the Intelligent Indie. I usually try to provide total variance in my three embedded songs, but the more Electric stuff just knocks similar protagonists over the boundary. A real winner!
You can listen to and buy the album here.
......................
No comments:
Post a Comment