Allá, are a Chicago-based Mexican-American
three piece that specialise in taking sixties psychedelic pop,
70’s experimental rock, 90’s shoegazer and 00’s
electronica, and mixing them into a cosmopolitan dream-sequence
that flows with a relaxed yet multicolored Latin pace. Bands such
as Os Mutantes, Tuxedomoon or (more recently) El Guincho have
been busy fusing Latin flair within the cosmic realms of psychedelic
pop for some time but Allá (along with the excellent Tuxedomoon)
explore a wider and more ambitious terrain, taking cues from a
variety of genres and fusing them with proprietary aplomb, sometimes
all within one track! Joined by a hardy cast of talented musicians,
the band create a fully fledged sound that occasionally brings
into play eccentric influences from subtle hip-hop motifs to spaghetti
Western noodling.
Their debut album ‘Es Tiempo’
was recorded across Chicago and in Sweden and explores the outer
reaches of Latin pop. Martinez’s elongated and honey-spread
vocals drape invitingly over a neo-flamenco groove, a groove that
is injected with a typically leftfield Chicago aesthetic. The
motorik percussion and mellow vibes bring to mind a sun scorched
Tortoise after consuming one too many Stereolab and David Axelrod
albums. ‘Tü y yO’ is a perfect example of this
post-rock fuelled Americana, sharing the same expansive and haze-filled
territory as ‘The Jimmy Chamberlain Complex’ with
its lush acoustics, leisurely tribal flair and three dimensional
dynamic. The title track, ‘Es Tiempo’ goes on to deliver
an explosion of sound driven forward by tight drum clusters and
resonating guitars that follows a stringent post-rock dynamic,
a dynamic that is uniquely contrasted with the drawn-out pop aesthetic
of the vocals.
Away from the kaleidoscopic leftfield-pop
orientated swirl, an image reinforced by the cool digipak artwork,
Allá reflect a darker and more atmospheric side. ‘Un
Pedaze’ Allá sees them launch into a darker, noir-tinged
sound created by drawn out strings and deep trip-hop inspired
basslines that create a stirring backdrop for Martinez’s
elegiac vocal croon. ‘Sigue Tü Corazon’ showcases
Allá at their most tender and introspective, carving out
a gentle and almost meditative Belle & Sebastian meets Can
soundscape of chilled indie-pop fused with metronomic drums and
mellow prog-rock guitar swirls. The body of the track is tinged
with a simmering Latin flair by way of strumming strings and floating
vocals. Occasionally the trio launch off into leftfield instrumental
excursions. On ’Sazanami’ they piece together recurring
string plucks, raw unprocessed drums and a host of industrialized
effects to create a sparkling slice of melodic dissonance which
could be what DJ Shadow would have created if he played with instruments
instead of decks. ‘La Montana Sagrada’ on the other
hand tones down proceedings with its slinky piano-led journey
into the depths of the Mexican desert at sunset.
One thing you can’t accuse Allá
of is plundering the same territory over and over again. Variety
flows from their pores, a benefit of have such wide-ranging influences,
and the diverse soundscapes of ‘Es Tiempo’ will leave
open-minded fans of pop fusion in raptures. From the lush harmonics
and fleeting soundscapes of ‘No Duermes Mas’ which
create a beguiling piece that will have you drifting off towards
oblivion, to the angular and fusion riddled ‘Solo Un Milagro’,
Allá prove to be a diverse bunch and a force to be reckoned
with. A final note to add is the high fidelity production which
brings out the warm, analogue goodness of the instrumentation
and contributes vastly to the vividness of the album. (KS)
For fans of: The Mercury Programme, Tortoise, Stereolab,
Tuxedomoon, Can circa 'Soon Over Babaluma'
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