Kant Freud Kafka: Historias Del Acantilado

The music here was born during the Covid-19 lockdown and from musician Javi Herrera’s concern about our destiny here on earth. The music is well orchestrated and lush, featuring a variety of instrumentation such as violin, viola, cello, harp, and flute along with your standard drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards. There is a touch of darkness here that lends a mysterious quality to the music. What immediately jumps out after listening to opening track are the dramatic vocals, sung in an almost operatic style. The male and female duo (I believe Herrera and his daughter Alia) are extremely well done, and I especially enjoy the female vocals which add a certain mystique. “Carta de Gaia� is a gorgeous track featuring acoustic guitar, keyboards, woodwinds, and female vocals that gives off a Genesis vibe at their most pastoral. “Conspiranoia� opens with solo piano, a sparse track that includes cello and other instrumentation, very melodic and eerie. “My Baby Just Scares for Me� continues the vibe of the previous track, and this is where I find the band hitting their stride. These instrumental passages feature varied instrumentation that support the piano that drives the tracks. A keen sense of melody and space are captured, and display the wide dynamic range that the group possesses. When in the right mindset, this is the type of music you get lost in, very haunting. “El Acantilado� is the epic 15 minute closer opening with chamber music, dark and regal, things begin to slowly bubble around the 4 minute mark, keyboard and guitar leads trade off. They veer off into more atmospheric territory again with harp, violin, and keyboard, creating magical moments. Male and Female vocals again grace this track about midway through, and a whimsical guitar and flute section follows steering them yet onto another path. I love how this track goes in many directions, and they touch on a Crimson-like conclusion with the Saxes, mellotron and synths.

I will use a poor analogy to conclude my review. Have you ever had a delicious burger that was smothered in ketchup? You love hamburgers and ketchup, but the overabundance of ketchup slightly detracted from your enjoyment. The music here is beautiful, vibrant, and intriguing, but at times the vocals dominate the music. It’s a small complaint, but one I had to mention. There are many inspiring instrumental passages to be found, and I really enjoy the female vocals, but more instrumental moments would take this to the next level.

Track List:
1) Voz de Metal
2) Carta de Gaia
3) Conspiranoia
4) My Baby Just Scares for Me
5) El Acantilado

Added: January 30th 2022
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 549
Language: english

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