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 like the apartment blocks on the outskirts of any city. A sense of cold like the rain that taps on your window in the noisy metropolitan silence of any ordinary night. A sense of loneliness among a crowd that doesn't understand and doesn't want to understand you. The awareness of having only oneself, a guitar, and silence, so much silence, to fill.
This is perhaps the feeling that more than any other is communicated by the music of José González: unease. A feeling that clings to you with every replay like the acrid smoke of a cigarette, that sticks to your heart like an indistinct but concrete, tangible discomfort, sometimes unbearable. And it's certainly no coincidence that José cites among his sources of inspiration the Joy Division of Ian Curtis. But it's also inevitable that while listening to José, the name Nick Drake reappears like a ghost. And also the presence and teaching of Joao Gilberto, and his approach to voice and guitar.

Because "Veneer," José's debut, is almost entirely here: a voice and a guitar. Very few percussions ("Stay In The Shade"), some handclaps ("Lovestain"), a grim and sinister trumpet ("Broken Arrows"). The rest of the album is the six strings that tune in almost every track to Latin rhythms stripped of any carnal and dancing glow. Latinness that doesn't warm but like a will-o'-the-wisp launches icy reflections of an unsettling discomfort. Simple and very brief themes, repeated obsessively and claustrophobically. And the lyrics. Bare, essential. Speaking of crosses, thoughts that won't go away, rain that washes away. And maybe these are José's best moments, those songs where more than any other the fragility of his unripe voice, and perhaps his soul, shines through. In "Remain," with its fiery Latin dance rhythm suspended between guitar surges and that prayer-like text that no one will ever hear, let alone answer. In the sense of emptiness conveyed by "Crosses," in the singing that chokes in the throat in "Hints." And in the splendid folk reinterpretation of "Heartbeats." Stripped of the Knife's electro-pop rhythm, this is perhaps truly the most successful moment of an album that, as a whole, is truly accomplished. The guitar bursts into soft sounds of a living, pulsating heart, while the voice fades away in the silences of resignation as the memory appears like a specter that can no longer be held: We had a promise made/We were in love...

An extraordinary debut for the not-yet-thirty-year-old singer from Gothenburg, a Swede with roots that delve into the heart of Argentina. A debut gripped tightly between the cold Nordic beauty and the hot Latin rhythm. But above all, a debut imprisoned in the darkest unease and fears of the metropolitan man. To listen to. Absolutely.

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 laurafiesolana

 Never have I listened to an album as flawless and perfect as this 'Veneer'.

 This troubled yet bright gift from the gods... an extremely charming and beneficial catharsis of Apollonian and Dionysian mixed in a measured balance.


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.