Monterey Discos
SonLosGrillos (SP,2010)****
When Bob Theil came back from the Datura folk festival, he came back with this LP for me he said I had to check out. It was on a new label, and Victor from the label was involved in the organization of the festival having wished for Bob Theil to come over to the festival. When hearing the first track on the record I understand. Here we hear a beautiful 12-string picking (or is this just the impression, because of the subtly played 2 picking guitars in overdubs) combined with a second picking guitar, with a kind of open space singing, taking the time to develop the song tune, arranged with an accent here and there of some vocal overdubs. The lyrics are in English. This track doesn’t completely represent this Valencia duo, it does however show its sincerity and delicacy. Mostly the lyrics are kept quiet simple, but they have their effect and show a positive setting towards life, harmony and related people and a gratefulness to God. Some songs have something more easy like a countryside setting, stylistically not like American country, but like a Valencia version of it. “Rainy Day” is sung in a relaxed country walking rhythm with strummed rhythm guitar and electric country guitar, banjo and some harmonica lead solo. This is like a rain day lazy love song. Also the next, more melancholic song has just a slight touch of countrysque harmony vocal arrangements. Then a few more devotional songs appear. Even a Hindu song in sanscit called "Bahjan", with guitar pickings and harmonium, luckily not de-attached from the normal songwriting atmosphere. In some of these devotional inspirations, this can be seen as some folk gospel. One of these songs has another droning instrument in the background, besides two picking guitars. One Spanish song is dedicated to freedom, accompanied by guitars and violin. There were only 500 albums printed, each cover carefully painted by hand. A sweet and delightful artefact.
