Repsychled/Lion Prod
El Polen : Cholo (PER,1972,re.2011)***°°
When a colleague of mine saw that I bought an acoustic item from Peru I saw him think loudly without words : oh this must be that kind of pan flute nonsense no matter how creative this could be with it. I am sure when he heard like the first track he wouldn’t even recognise the country it comes from, but that’s how predestined and preoccupied people’s minds are. The first track is an open improvisation with acoustic guitars and congas, acid folkish and slightly bluesy. A violin and cello improvise along too, and some flute melodies here and there. The two guitars give a hypnotic rhythmic evolution. The instrumental repeats itself a bit then improvises with a fast picking lead theme and a beautiful, Peruvian-flavoured, emotional songwriter comes out of it, to conclude with the first improvisation as if it always had been part of the song. The second track is a loose interpretation of Peruvian folk sensitivity, song and song harmony and dance rhythm, arranged by piano, guitars and mini-guitars and is already a bit more traditional, still interpreted with an ear for the hypnotic and musical effect of it. The third, shorter, track starts with a flute solo, then has a Peruvian folk triple flute arrangement/improvisation, with nice sensitivity and ear to it, folk related. Also the next track still is rooted in Peruvian folk, improvising with it a bit, with open mind and additional violin and cello too, this still is rather traditional folk related, even though the violin and cello add in some moments a small chamber-music flavour. It has a few parts and changes. Until here my friend has had some of his predictions confirmed. But then the album changes again, with a very good English psych-folk song, reminding me vaguely of Comus/Dr.Strangely Strange. Also the next track is equally attractive, adds drums, piano and female backings, to the lead voice, acoustic guitars and congas, has again something very much of Comus (with all the bizarness and greatness in sound too, less speeded up). This is brilliant of course. Two must-have songs. A strange barrel piano with door bell and large musical box melody are the next instrumental. A happy-sad song sung in Spanish by a female vocalist is followed accompanied by acoustic guitar, electric bass and congas, and this sadly enough already is the end of the album.
400 numbered copies ; mine is already nr.337 so be quick !
