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On one of the rare occasions that I found myself glancing at the TV, I had a revelation. It was a Sony commercial where a sea of colored balls were seen bouncing down with a musical background that instantly captivated me without hesitation. I began my search: it was the song "Heartbeats" by the Swedish electro-pop duo The Knife, covered by Jose Gonzalez, a Swede from Gothenburg with Argentine parents. I bought the album "Veneer" and experienced an extraordinary attraction. Many are the imitators of Nick Drake or those who refer to him, but here we are almost facing a Buddhist reincarnation. Jose Gonzalez plays the guitar just like Nick, with a delicate yet elaborate fingerpicking, with sequences of atypical chords and harmonic textures, an open and virtuosic arpeggio and a voice often whispered like Drake’s, with the same disenchanted timbre.
Eleven stunning tracks for about thirty minutes of songs at a very high level. The album is recorded live, offering us vast acoustic sonorities: you can sense the wooden resonance of rosewood and resin, in a work of sublime and precious craftsmanship. The aging of the body and the nylon of the strings become perceptible.
This is not an album: this is a minimalist fresco where a clap in (Love Stain), timid and hinted percussion in (Stay in the shade), and a trumpet in (Broken Arrow) almost cause a startle. For the rest, the six strings become sonic brushes for a strong transience and warm tones marked by melancholy and yearning akin to Watteau’s (1684-1721) canvases, the French painter.
The quiet voice and skilled fingers on the keyboard narrate stories of tormenting romanticism and outline a state of grace set to music. Never have I listened to an album as flawless and perfect as this "Veneer": tracks that reveal themselves as true sung Haikus evoking inaccessible immateriality in a true sophisticated aesthetic triumph; an ode to thoughtfulness, in a hypnotic and seductive sound flow.
If I were the author, I would have titled it "Festina Lente", hurry slowly, as time expands even in rapid expressive urgencies.
Guys, this Jose Gonzalez, with his dark cadences, his bare intimacy, his melancholic talent, his tormented quest, his subtle inquietude, displays a dazzling songwriter vocation and a timeless artistic tension in a fascinating compendium of beauty. It is difficult to choose something and make a selection; I could point out the second track "Remain", an example of Caetanovelosa bossanova or
"Hints" the ninth track, vaguely hinted similar-blues or "Stay in the shade" and "Broken Arrow" where a truly resurrected Nick Drake is imperiously felt.
But everything is valid in this album released, or rather republished in 2005, which continues to sell slowly thanks to constant word of mouth. It’s a bit like what happened with Damien Rice; and here we are faced with the same charisma and talent.
Those who don’t have it yet, hurry to acquire this dark, yet welcoming Swedish-Argentine melody that will pleasantly tear your soul.
To describe Beauty, Baudelaire wrote: "I am beautiful, oh mortals, like a dream of stone"
and here one remains petrified by enchanting dreamlike vertigo.
"My moves are slow; but soon they I'll know / we'll keep on whispering our mantras" from "Slow Moves".
Woe to anyone who doesn't listen to this triumph of musical aesthetics, this sound ecstasy that will intoxicate you, lightening the existential burden that sometimes weighs on your shoulders,
this troubled yet bright gift from the gods, this extremely charming and beneficial catharsis of Apollonian and Dionysian mixed in a measured balance.
Like a new Eurydice, I found myself attracted by Jose-Orpheus the enchanting with his gentle sensitivity: I heard and followed his celestial song of suffering, starting to escape from the hell of meaningless musical conformity.
So? What are you going to do? Come on! Once, listen to me and follow my advice. Get "Veneer" and you'll be grateful to me for life.
Signed, Laurafiesolana/substantial and never in vain!!!
Happy Listening, folks!
P.S. I apologize to JohnOfPatmos the first reviewer of this album. I read his beautiful work; but I didn’t feel I could refrain from sharing my personal emotion. The urge was too strong. I hope he understands!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Slow Moves (02:52)
A compromise between honesty and lies
To lead me past, their sly disguise
My moves are slow but soon they'll know
Behind the scenes they grow their schemes
Hiding intentions, revealing only fractions
Their moves are slow but soon you'll know
They'll keep on whispering their mantras
We'll keep on whispering our mantras
My moves are slow but soon they'll know
Their moves are slow but soon you'll know
02 Remain (03:45)
We'll remain after everything's been washed away by the rain
We will stand upright as we stand today
Lovestain
You left a lovestain on my heart
And you left a bloodstain on the ground
But blood comes off easily
03 Lovestain (02:17)
You left a lovestain on my heart
And you left a bloodstain on the ground
But blood comes off easily
But blood comes off easily
You left a lovestain on my heart
And you left a bloodstain on the ground
But blood comes off easily
But blood comes off easily
04 Heartbeats (02:40)
One night to be confused
One night to speed up truth
We had a promise made
Four hands and then away
Both under influence
We had divine scent
To know what to say
Mind is a razorblade
To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no
One night of magic rush
The start a simple touch
One night to push and scream
And then relief
Ten days of perfect tunes
The colors red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love
To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no
To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
And you, you knew the hands of the devil
And you, kept us awake with wolf teeths
Sharing different heartbeats
In one night
To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no
To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no
05 Crosses (02:42)
Don't you know that I'll be around to guide you
Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you
Returning nightmares only shadows
We'll cast some light and you'll be alright for now
Crosses all over, heavy on your shoulders
The sirens inside you waiting to step forward
Disturbing silence darkens your sight
We'll cast some light and you'll be alright for now
Crosses all over the boulevard
The streets outside your window overflooded
People staring they know you've been broken
Repeatedly reminded by the looks on their faces
Ignore them tonight and you'll be alright
We'll cast some light and you'll be alright
06 Deadweight on Velveteen (03:26)
Deadweight on velveteen
It's retained emptiness
It's not what it seems
Uncover the mystery
Tell everyone what you see
It's not what it seems
Vulgar when brought to light
Betray the image
There's nothing between the sheets
It's not what it seems
But deadweight on velveteen
Vulgar when brought to light
Vulgar the lie
07 All You Deliver (02:20)
On the verge of ruin
You'll see it all clear
How steep the fall is
How long the way back is
On the verge of success
It's all white and fluffy
Horizons are blurred
By the time you reach your goal
Tongues will be twisted
To the point where you'll lose track of your soul
Distorted pictures is all you deliver
08 Stay in the Shade (02:22)
Stay in the shade until you reach the grave
Hide from yourself and see how you fade
You'll see how you fade
Love moves on
Life goes on
You'll see how you fade
See how you fade
Move on or you'll see how you fade
09 Hints (03:52)
While the crowd is waiting for the final kiss
The one which allows them to sleep well
We'll walk along our own path
The one which will lead us to our own bless
But we need hints before we get tired
We need speed before we lose pace
We need a hint to know we're on the right track
10 Save Your Day (02:30)
Poke the body with a stick roll it down
Ignore the moaning as it tumbles to the ground
Be brave and save your day
These days are cold
Numbers rule I've been told
The pattern is clear better fit in the mould
Be brave and save your day
To cough up sympathy isn't hard but it costs
Hold tight to your life savings
You have to do what you must
To save your day
So poke the body and roll it down
The grave looks cold but we're still young
11 Broken Arrows (01:58)
Broken arrows along the shore
Seems you intended to come back for more
It was summerlove leave this town
It's too cold to bathe and the leaves are brown
Summerlove left this town
It was too cold to bathe and the leaves turned brown
The sun went down
And with it the love we found
That's the way things are sometimes
Most of the time
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Other reviews
By JohnOfPatmos
Sometimes there is music that slips over you like rain, drumming in your head, leaving you with a sense of mystery, a sort of resigned anger, an inconsolable sense of desolation.
An extraordinary debut for the not-yet-thirty-year-old singer from Gothenburg, a Swede with roots that delve into the heart of Argentina.
By Cassavetes
The new Nick Drake comes from Northern Europe.
Even if it initially seems unlistenable and challenging on a first listen, give it a second chance. You won’t regret it.
