Ballena "Odisea Ballena"

 Ballena "Odisea Ballena" (p)2020 Subterfuge

Their previous longplay sounded like the recording studio was haunted by Santiago Motorizado during the process. I don't speak about direct borrowings - it's rather like Ballena and The Band From The Other Side Of The Pond aka El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado shared the same atmosphere or the common mood. "Odisea Ballena", while following nearly the same path, is way more diverse than "Navarone". The band sounds like trying to push every boundary in every direction so some songs get wider, bigger, louder while the other ones get more poppy and lightweight. Looks like the law of the expansion of the universe in miniature and it's as cool as it gets because it's always cool when the music itself gets more sophisticated without making you into studying rocket science. 

SPTF

Nueva Vulcano "Ensayo"

Nueva Vulcano "Ensayo" (p)2020 BCore Disc/ La Castanya 

It's been five years since critically acclaimed "Noveleria" was brought to light. In the times of streaming such the long span of dormancy (though they’ve never been completely silent during this time) could be detrimental for any career in music but it’s obviously not the case of Nueva Vulcano. It's time to declare the following: despite the significant time gap between records little has changed for the leaders of Catalan post-hardcore scene. Picking up right where they left off back in the year 2015 they are stepping into the new decade with another piece of solid gold full of off-key vocals, angular bass lines and guitars that flow freewillingly around the rhythm section. You're not gonna confuse it with anyone else's. As far as I can see, in terms of critical acclaim "Ensayo" is destined to follow the path of its predecessors marking one more milestone in the career of the Barcelona underground kingpins.

BNDCMP

Fanaticos "Resiliencia"

 Fanaticos "Resiliencia" (p)2020 Flor Y Nata

While not the most original and authentic entity in the world, this album is an enjoyable set of songs for those who appreciates the melodicism and hit potential rather than the mere experimentation. Despite the presence of Ivan Ferreiro (with the different take on his own "Años 80" implanted into the album's best track "Todo") this is not the kind of record destined for hype and heavy rotation. So you could listen to the good pop song kinda embracing your own exclusiveness.

BNDCMP 

Colorado "Nuestros Circuitos"

 Colorado "Nuestros Circuitos" (p)2020 Clifford Records

I like "Nuestros Circuitos" but I don't fall in love with it, and I'm so sorry for not being able to explain why. For me this album is a solid four out of five but I do understand that it's got all the ingredients for better estimation. It's got strong melodies and elaborated instrumental parts. It manages to appear as the case of 'the sum is greater than its parts' where the parts are indie pop and dreampop and the sum is neither of them. But the arrow set to my heart slightly misses it.

BNDCMP

Renaldo & Clara "L'Amor Fa Calor"

Renaldo & Clara "L'Amor Fa Calor" (p)2020 Primavera Labels

Post-everything crossover pop with a human face, or the complicated music with multi-dimensional approach that tries to sound simple and lightweight - that's what it is. The pop side of trip hop (Morcheeba rather than Portishead), indietronica, sunchine/balearic pop, minimal electro, Joan Miquel Oliver - this is what came to my mind first I started to listen to "L'Amor Fa Calor". 30+ minutes later it was all over leaving the sense of weightlessness in the aftertaste.

SPTF

Uniforms "Fantasía Moral"

Uniforms "Fantasía Moral" (p)2020 Oso Polita

I expected them to grow gradually with every new release but the Andalusian indie darlings decided to go the hard way covering the whole distance in one take with their sophomore effort. While their maiden release was cute enough but quite understated in terms of the songs' memorability, the recent one sounds like the band on the creative peak. "Fantasía Moral" proudly wears its influences on its sleeves: "One Hit Wonder (Cheni's Song)" sounds like an El Columpio Asesino "Diamantes"-era lost anthem while "Sunflower Sea Star" might fit into any release of paisanos Blacanova. It may sound disparate as the former is the vigorous post-punk'y slasher, and the latter is the warm and subdued dreampop elegy but instead of causing any stylistic mess it demonstrates the album’s greater strength: the diversity. Uniforms take on literally every shoegaze-related subgenre (with the only exclusion of blackgaze) without ever losing the controls over the process. The final result is a piece of art that positions them as leaders not followers amongst the burgeoning contemporary dreampop scene in Spain: Linda Guilala, Apartamentos Acapulco, Arista Fiera, Berlina, Martes Niebla, Los Marcianos and dozens of other hi-class bands you should start to follow right now - if you haven't started it yet.

BNDCMP

Triangulo de Amor Bizarro “Triangulo de Amor Bizarro”

Triangulo de Amor Bizarro “Triangulo de Amor Bizarro” (p)2020 Mushroom Pillow

This album is the sonic equivalent to seesaw. It starts in the way of forcing the listener into the pretty uncomfortable state: listening to the first track "Ruptura" almost causes you the physical pain. The next two tracks "No Eres Tu" and "Vigilantes Del Espejo" are more conventional in terms of 'classic' sound of Triangulo. The furious fourth piece "Cancion De La Fama" is up to try your auricular system out again. Then it abruptly comes to the three consecutive tracks of celestial beauty ("Fukushima", "Asmr Para Ti" and "Acosadores"). Then the album's landscape changes one more time to wrap you with the sonic entity I would like to tag 'emogaze' - only to morph again into the drones of the last track "Los Golpes Olvidados". An uneasy listening as it is, this album can amaze you with its most beautiful moments while soaking you into the perks and pains of a bipolar disorder.

SPTF