Migala - Arde
(Subpop)
A few years ago, I knew a young woman who really enjoyed the music of the Arab Strap. She loved how it was so intimate and, more importantly, sexy. Maybe she didn't say the word "sexy," but I'm sure she meant sexy. Coincidently, someone gave me a copy of the Arab Strap's latest album (at the time), Philophobia. I didn't enjoy it so much, perhaps for the sole fact that I didn't find it as sexy as she did. Migala is a band a lot like the Arab Strap; they depend on the listener finding them sexy.
So, to decide whether or not you will like Migala's music, first ask yourself: do you find Antonio Banderas sexy? He is "too sexy," for sure, but ask yourself to what extent you find him sexy. When Migala's singer sings, he is not really singing but rather doing his Antonio Banderas version of Fabio's spoken word albums. His accent is thick (for maximal sexiness) but is sometimes hard to understand. When this singing is added to Migala's music, it is the focal point, and the music is weak and understated.
The first quarter of the album is entirely instrumental music--playful and colorful--an even better version of Calexico's authentico mariachi. However, when the vocals start, the music fades into the background. The music that is left is more cinematic than it is melodic--however, not cinematic like Play it to the Bone but rather like one of Pedro Almodovar's movies, full of vibrant washed-out colors and quaint characters. Cars crash in the background as strings and guitars hum quietly. If the band were to have made an instrumental album, it likely would have been recommendable, but with the vocals as the centerpiece for too much of the album, opinions on the album are dependent on your reaction to the singer's sexiness.
So, to sum it all up, sure Ewin McGregor may or may not have dated Nicole Kidman. That means little when you consider that Antonio Banderas married Melanie Griffith. He stole her from Don Johnson, for Christ's sake. Migala will definitely out sexy your Arab Strap albums. The only problem is whether or not you really want to listen to some Spanish guy acting all sexy all the time. With all that sexiness, there's not enough room left on the album to showcase their talent at crafting colorful music.
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