Pastoral
Humanos

My discovery of Argentine progressive music happened only recently, and I must say that the term "discovery" is indeed fitting. Listening to bands such as Crucis, Espiritu, Bubu, Mia, Redd, Alas, and Pablo El Enterredor has put me in touch with a music scene of excellent quality, leaving me truly speechless. It is with great enthusiasm, then, that I started listening to these Pastoral, an Argentine duo formed by Miguel Angel Erausquin and Alejandro De Michele, who, assisted by an orchestra, released in 1976 what I believe is their third album, this Pastoral that the Korean M2U Records is re-releasing in a beautiful cardboard LP-like package that allows us to fully appreciate the beautiful cover. Beyond the iconographic aspects (which in any case often represent a pleasant complement for progressive productions), Pastoral's musical proposal is very close to that of their fellow countrymen Sui Generis: a very singer-songwriter-like folk-prog, delicate, characterized by refined arrangements in which strings intertwine with acoustic guitars, and in which the "key" word of everything is "melody."

The vocal melodies, in fact, are what most fascinates the listener as they are truly beautiful, poignant, and full of pathos. The album does not feature instrumental pyrotechnics, breathtaking tempo changes, or lengthy suites, but listening to it, one cannot remain indifferent to the vocal lines of songs like the extraordinary opener "Humanos" or the subsequent "Me Desprendo De Tu Vientre," which immediately sets the stylistic tone for the entire work. This second track then forms a whole with "De Regreso A Tus Entrans," whose finale also leaves room for a pinch of psychedelia with a long orchestral section over which, in the background of the vocals, the improvisations of an acid electric guitar run wild. Although the entire album maintains a rather high level of quality, other highlights can be noted, such as "Prorroga De La Tierra," characterized by a fascinating choral singing and a mouth harp quite unusual for our genre, or the melancholic "Solo Con Silencio."

In conclusion, it is a great album which, although distant from many of the typical progressive styles, presents more than one point of interest for us enthusiasts. However, if you are looking for something more lively still coming from the land of the gauchos, you are spoiled for choice among the names I mentioned at the beginning (and not only those...). Whatever choice you make, let me know...

P.S. for completeness, I add a brief and unfortunately sad biographical note: the Pastoral, having disbanded in 1979, reunited in 1981 and released the album "Generacion," after which unfortunately no other work could follow as Alejandro De Michele died in a car accident on May 20, 1983.