shop | mailing lists
musicOMH
music: album reviews
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Re-Foc
(Rubyworks) UK release date: 6 October 2003
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Re-Foc

buy this title


track listing

1. Diem
2. New One
3. Foc
4. Georges Street/The Tartar Frigate
5. 30 de Marzo
6. Paris
7. Take 5 (foc-ing version 9)
8. Temple Bar

related
INTERVIEW:
Rodrigo y Gabriela

ALBUM:
Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

ALBUM:
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela

ALBUM:
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live Manchester & Dublin

ALBUM:
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Re-Foc

GIG:
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Brixton Academy, London

GIG:
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ St James Church, London

GIG:
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Ronnie Scott's, London

GIG:
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Bolivar Hall, London

GIG:
Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

external
Rodrigo y Gabriela


Mexicans Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero were guitarists for heavy metal band Tierra Acida, but you'd never know it to hear the delicate - and virtuoso - classical / flamenco / folk / jazz sounds of their new album, Re-Foc (from the Catalan for fire).

Now living in Ireland and helped by Dublin singer-songwriter Damien Rice, they've put together an irresistible collection of tracks that combine Latin rhythms, jazz style vocals (courtesy of Zoë Conway, who also adds violin highlights) and subtle percussion.

It's the sort of music you wish they'd play at your favourite restaurant - and although that may sound dismissive, it isn't meant to. Of course it would have to be the sort of restaurant where they don't mind you getting up and dancing now and then... This music is anything but bland, but it's no surprise to hear that it has featured in a number of films. It is the sort of infectious music that makes you very, very happy.

Foc is one of the most complex tracks, with fiendishly tricky acoustic guitars providing both melody and rhythmic effects. Opening track Diem - a tribute to Dave Mustaine of Megadeth - pairs a gorgeous soft jazz tune with flamenco fireworks.

Every track has its delights. Irish overtones come out in the violin of Georges Street / The Tartar Frigate. The mood is quieter, more reflective in 30 de Marzo, with another lush melody. The pace picks up again with Paris, Robbie Harris adding an array of percussion, cymbals and shakers to create a sound picture that's more Latin than Latin Quarter.

The Rodrigo y Gabriela version of Take 5 is fascinating, but it's difficult to improve on the original ground-breaking Dave Brubeck piece - oh well, you can't win them all.

Closing track Temple Bar is busy, fun and one of the only tracks to allow the double bass of Johnny Daly to come through.

I'd love to hear this pair live - apparently their set in the acoustic tent at Glastonbury was astonishing. In the meantime the album should win them a lot of fans. Give it a go. I promise you won't be able to keep still.

  share: 
Facebook | Digg | del.icio.us | more
Mercury Prize 2009 nominees
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE SPEECH DEBELLE KASABIAN FRIENDLY FIRES
LA ROUX BAT FOR LASHES THE HORRORS GLASVEGAS
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM THE INVISIBLE LISA HANNIGAN LED BIB

top albums
most read reviews in the last seven days
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey


Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole


Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams


Julian Casablancas
Julian Casablancas
recommended reading
INTERVIEW
Gary Numan on pleasure principles and flying machines, 30 years after A.R.E. Friends Electric?
ALBUM REVIEW
Martha Wainwright's Edith Piaf set, Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris.
ALBUM REVIEWS out this week
Julian Casablancas, The Hidden Cameras, Weezer, Luke Haines, Espers, Local Natives, Skunk Anansie, The O's...
more album reviews
out this week:
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young The Hidden Cameras - Origin: Orphan Weezer - Raditude
Luke Haines - 21st Century Man Espers - III Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
coming soon:
Martha Wainwright - Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, a Paris Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star Mariah Carey - Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel
Will Young - The Hits Joe Goddard - Harvest Festival The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars EP
recent releases:
Cheryl Cole - Three Words McAlmont & Nyman - The Glare Miike Snow - Miike Snow
Devendra Banhart - What Will Be Will Be Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
Portico Quartet - Isla Annie - Don't Stop Whitney Houston - I Look To You
The Antlers - Hospice BEAK> - BEAK> Atlas Sound - Logos
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport The Flaming Lips - Embryonic Shakira - She Wolf
more album reviews
Twitter


recent interviews and features
Gary Numan
Gary Numan
INTERVIEW
Miike Snow
Miike Snow
INTERVIEW
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
INTERVIEW
The Big Pink
The Big Pink
INTERVIEW
more interviews

  more album reviews...



musicOMH
about us
contact
copyright
home
elsewhere
Twitter
Facebook
Last.fm
Soundcloud
MySpace
© 1999-2009 OMH