Xoel Lopez "Paramales" (p)2015 Esmerarte
The bitter truth about this album is that I don't like it. It's sad to say so about the musician that - unbeknownst to himself - invited me to the world of
rock espanol 8 years ago. My soul is crying and my fingers are bleeding over the keypad of my laptop when I type these words here but that's what I really feel like: I don't like "
Paramales". I liked "
Atlantico", and I can't say that there are lots of changes on the new album being compared to "
Atlantico". From the first track "
Patagonia" (definitely the best song here) it seems like "
Paramales" picks up where "
Atlantico" left off. And if the whole album followed the steps of "
Patagonia" there would not be any problem. The next song "
Yo Solo Queria Que Me Llevaras A Bailar" is also quite pleasurable... and that's the point: the rest of "
Paramales" is full of songs that are 'quite pleasurable' at best. That's how I feel it. Maybe I'm not just fine-tuned for it. I appreciate the fact that the album might look great being considered within the context of Spanish roots-folk song tradition (in comparison with any 200 years old song of a seaman leaving his darling so far away it could even be considered 'inventive'), but it's just not the way I'd like
Xoel to be considered.
UPDATE: after the multiple auditions the album starts to grow on me. So maybe I will finally fall for it sometimes later.
The best tracks: Patagonia, Yo Solo Queria Que Me Llevaras A Bailar, Caracoles, Almas Del Norte
