Breis "14 Pla de Palau"

Breis "14 Pla de Palau" (p)2015 Sweet Song

"The way was nothing more than an illusion..."

(c) Breis "El Camino"

This is the fourth album of Manolo Breis released four last years in a row - and the eighth overall. With such the considerable artistic background, the Murcian singer/songwriter returns with his most complex work to date.

The album starts with more than six minutes long "Olfato, Tacto y Gusto", a song that showcases the whole album the best with its dark mood, the changes in tempo, the internal suspense and the thick layers of synths. The song structures are visibly more convoluted here than on the previous efforts. The arrangements as well are the lushest in Breis' history. With the heavy use of vintage sounding keyboards, the influence of 70's pop progressive acts (Procol Harum is probably the first name that comes to mind) is one of the major dominants in "14 Pla de Palau" sound. Taking into account the fragile voice of Manolo, at times the album sounds pretty similar in tone and structure with the final Elliott Smith's release "From A Basement On The Hill" - like if Elliott wanted to record it as a "soft progressive"/art rock album.

In the release notes Manolo Breis says that "14 Pla de Palau" is the closing part of the three album concept that started with "Invisibles" two years ago. So, the new album is the perfect logical successor of "Invisibles" and "Verna" not only proving the musician's ability to progress with every subsequent release but also making him one of the Spainish indie rock's best kept secrets.

The best tracks: Si Pudiera, Contigo Que Sin Ti, Olfato, Tacto Y Gusto, 5 de Mayo, El Camino

14 Pla de Palau in Bandcamp - you can download the album for free.