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THE REVIEW

There's a desire for novelty around, but unfortunately, this desire is not being satisfied unless you like Abs... Well, that's what I thought before watching a video that's not beautiful, but genius in its simplicity: El Salvador. In the video, there's a guy with a 45 rpm record cover instead of a face who tries to get treated to become normal again; the song gets stuck in my head, and two days later, I'm already unwrapping the CD...

It's a bargain! 12 tracks ranging from tranquility to frenzy, from joy to a nostalgic sadness. The classic verse-chorus structure is mixed, reworked, and revolutionized; in the various songs, we often find ourselves listening to delicate verses for 2 minutes straight, only to discover expansive choruses that extend until the end of the piece.

These Brits define themselves as the British answer to Pavement, but in my opinion, they're simply the happier and more naive Coldplay. The tracks blend well together, almost forming a single work divided into several chapters; the lyrics are original and meaningful, and the melodies are catchy yet sophisticated enough.

Don't be fooled by the verse of El Salvador, unfortunately so similar to that of Avril Lavigne's Complicated (I still point out that it's a very common chord progression); there's nothing recycled in this album and nothing commercial. In my opinion, one of the most interesting British bands of recent years.