Various Artists - Elefant Dosmiluno
(Elefant)
The sun must always shine at Elefant Records. This
compilation of bands on the Spanish record label is
full of bright, sunny songs that just might make
everything seem right again on a rainy day. The CD is
packed with music, being 74 minutes long, so you are
bound to find a few songs on it that make you happy.
We all know that many bands like to take styles from
the past decades and make them their own with varying
methods. Many bands on Elephant are adept at this,
making songs reminiscent of the sixties, seventies,
eighties, and nineties but electrifying, adapting, and
making them so very fun. A lot of songs are a
retro-pop style, but there are some gentle acoustic
songs as well. There is plenty of European flavor, and
the Spanish is particularly refreshing.
Cielo's "Vamos a Caminar" is electronic pop, made with
melodic bubbly sounds, electronic-sounding
synthesizers, electric drumming, and electronic
clapping (found on many songs--fun!). There are record
crackles in the background, which make this song more
warm than it would be without them, since it is all
electronic. The singer has a lovely Spanish voice, as
do other singers on the compilation.
You can find rock songs on the CD too, such as "Spain
is Pain" by The Pribata Idaho. It's a dark song, with
acoustic guitars and a Spanish feel. It's sung in deep
English. Distorted electric guitars come in part way
through, and there is heavy bass. With bit of a bluesy
sixties feel, this song is different from the other
pop rock songs on the album.
If, while you are listening to the CD, you begin to
feel overwhelmed by all the electronic stuff and rock,
you can listen to a song like "Galaxia" by Ana D e
Ibon Errazkin, which is a sad acoustic guitar
accompanying a female vocalist with a haunting voice.
It's pretty.
It would take too long to describe all the genres and
styles in Elefant Dosmiluno's 22 songs. It's worth
your while to explore them yourself. Song by song, the
album is great, just don't overdo it. The first few
times I tried to listen to the entire thing, I could
only make it to about track 14 without taking a
breather. A lot of the songs are so intense that I
felt a little overwhelmed. However, I think I built up
a pretty good tolerance over time, although I still
feel a bit tired by the end of the CD.
Some songs are better than others, but it depends on
your taste. A lot of the songs are similar enough that
if you like one you'll probably like them all. If you
don't like retro electronic stuff, pop, or
lighthearted rock, you probably won't be fond of most
of the album. Also, you might not like it if it
bothers you that the band is not singing in English
(but I'm not sure why it would bug you).
To sum up, this compilation not only has tender, sweet
moments of contemplative, lovely music, it rocks and
pops. Elefant Dosmiluno is danceable, clappable,
lovable, and laughable.
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