He already made it clear in “The truth” (20) and I definitely reconfirm it with “On fire” (22), how good it has been for the Jerez native Dani Llamas (re)return to their roots and, without fear of finding themselves, like that stone that was thrown into the sea for soleá, discover a new creative center. From folk-rock, punk attitude and guitar pop, to the poetic depth of the earth and the painful flow of memory.
“And although the bells of oblivion ring loudly, / the fire / that your struggle has lit cannot be extinguished.” Thus, with my heart in my fist, metamorphosing with electric quejío and courage the soleá del Mellizo that Juan Mojama did, this vibrant “Sangre” (23). Nails “Bells of Oblivion” which begin slowly and then flash to the rhythm of flickering rock and electronic touches, with the essential flamenco and unorthodox guitar of Raúl Cantizano at the helm. Psychedelic keyboards and Lorca coming into play: “The moon is a small well, / the flowers are worthless, / what is worth are your arms / when they hug me at night”. Melting verses in the open wound of the past and the present, with the collaboration of one of the freest and most brilliant flamenco artists of the last decade, the omnipresent Rocío Márquez, abundant in sensitivity and power in the replica of a Gypsy Zorongo that makes the hair bristle. skin in the mouths of both from the first verse. The rest of the ship’s crew are (Dani’s regular band): Rafa Camisón on drums and percussion, Marco Serrato on electric bass, Koe Casas on keyboards and Manuel Mateos Chacón on guitars, with the extra of Paco Loco on the guitars and synthesizers, in addition to taking care of the production of the album.
After the initial bare-chested declaration of intentions, we continue to accelerate our pulse with two pieces that end up leaving us touched and overwhelmed with emotion: the beautiful “Alone in the depths”, which without inspiration from any flamenco style, is one of the deepest of the lot, with Dani burning the ships phrase by phrase, the band electrifying each step and Rocío emerging from the dark depths and splitting the sky in two. And almost without giving us time to get up from the canvas, a third round and they finish us off with a bulería por soleá that scratches inside,“The color of the days”opening in channel with that unanswered chorus/question that hurts and heals at times: “Where did / the light that made us shine go? / The color of the days… / where did it go?”. Illusions that break and magic that fades without us realizing it… With very careful instrumentation and the voices of Dani and Rocío merging in a captivating intensity.
They give us a break in life “A coin toss” fresh breeze overflowing with colors, aromas and nuances, with Raúl Cantizano’s strings shining until they blind us, and the voices of Dani and Rocío dancing again in each verse. A truce, but vigilant: “And if history repeats itself, / if I have to shed my blood, / I will dig a trench / always with my equals. / And if peace is cursed, may death embrace us, / like lightning that never ceases, / giving life its reach.”
In the headline, “Sangre”, we find one of the most luminously pop pieces of the lot, catchy and slippery, but without any sweeteners, with Dani tearing his soul and the memory engraved on his chest, poison that bitters in the mouth. And if in this “Sangre” exudes the most resplendent sound side of the album, we continue with another sister track, full of crunchy and sparkling guitars, “The war is over”along with The New Raemon, a pure ray of light that leaves the shadow defeated: “Sing me that couplet that will revive our hope, / put your head on my shoulder, comrade, / what comforts us, will help us continue, / firm in the fight, embraced until the end.”
And before that, another masterpiece with Rocío Márquez, a twilight flamenco western of joy against ignorance, with Dani reigning over the “Noise that never silences”, under a trotton rhythm and an electric ending that is pure sound poetry on the six strings; followed by the temperance and sparkling depth of “Light of Trent”, frontier, sharp and mystically dark, with a final instrumental storm that seems thunderous live, halfway to the controlled chaos of Wilco and the Bad Seed. Guaranteed burns.
“Those who asked have rebelled / and they have not given him.” By soleá beat we are going with songs from Cádiz in “May a King judge me”mirabras with Rocío Márquez as the best adventure companion (voice and choirs in more than half of the songs).
“The star that guides me is fading, / and the entire firmament is breaking.” Farewell with songs from the countryside, “plowing with a furrow of flesh and blood” in the “Threshing of time”and “today is not yesterday” spatial and synthesized that drags us and does not let us touch the ground.
Aunt Anica la Piriñaca said: “When I sing at ease, my mouth tastes like blood.” That is the bright red liquid that flows, comfortable and free, through each of these ten songs.