Last year’s four track Ayrton Senna EP by Barcelona’s (via Basque Country) Delorean took blogosphere by storm. It was the sound of endless Summer and instead of embracing more relaxed attitude like some of their chilwave transatlantic contemporaries such as Washed Out, Delorean chose to party. Their combination of early 90’s synths mixed with funky guitar and bass interplay was as exhilarating as it was exhilarating to watch the former Formula 1 champion and legend whose name the EP barred. Add to this mixtape which was called appropriately enough, The Ayrton Senna mixtape, and was available on Delorean’s myspace, and featured with two of the cuts from the EP featured 6 Delorean remixes of artists ranging from The Big Pink to Lemonade to the Teenagers. I dare to say some of the remixes, in particular The Big Pinks “Too Young To Love”, were even better than Delorean’s original material. In any case it was clear that this is the band able to put their own stamp on other peoples’ song or create some summer magic all by themselves.
Subiza’s nine tracks overall are more complex and less immediate than the ones on its successful predecessor. This does not mean that there are no obvious smile-inducing, wave-your-hands songs; it’s just that most of the songs are not as immediate. This was by the design. While recording the album band did say that they wanted to challenge themselves, especially when they play live to have songs with more complex arrangements. They have certainly succeeded at that.
The first single and the opening track “Stay Close” is almost like a case in point. Its sounds swell up time and time again just to never burst, creating a bittersweet, longing feeling. Not to worry though, as the very next track “Real Love” is not only the biggest grin inducing track Delorean have ever written, but also the pinnacle of Delorean’s career up to now. As it’s chopped, pitched up “aaah, aaah, aaaa” vocals come in and out, organ like synth, tension building samples and house piano riff collide to create feeling of blissful joy unequaled in music this year. It also helps that singer Ekhi Lopettegi’s voice has never sounded better than it does here. Another highlight of Subiza is slower tempo, breakbeat-laced track, “Simple Graces”. This joy generator has one of the best, if not the best, purest piano house riffs made since the rave-crazy days of early 90’s and tracks like “Step On” by Manchester’s (or better Madchester’s) Happy Mondays. Just listen to “Simple Graces” starting at 1:27, so simple, yet so hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck-standing-beautiful.
However, this is also where Subiza sharply contrasts with its last year’s four track predecessor on which the main strength in songs like “Deli” and “Moonson” was the interplay between guitar and bass. On Subiza, the strength lies in layers of layers of electronic sounds. Guitars are still somewhat present, mainly on song “Grow” which by the way sounds like it could fight with “Simple Graces” to be the third single, but there is no doubt that Delorean have moved more into electronically dominated waters than what they’ve displayed since their 2006 album Into the Plateau. As we have seen, this growth has its strengths, but also has its weaknesses especially present in the last four songs. This is when album seems to lose its momentum as beats become repetitive and songs seem a bit overproduced. It’s true that the very last song, “It’s All Ours” featuring some complex percussion pattern, stands out, but nothing shines like the first five tracks.
Interestingly enough, in the Delorean live shows their drummer Igor (nice name by the way) Escudeo brings so much energy to the performance, especially in the way he nails those explosive fills over the electronic beats, creating walls of tension, thus taking songs to the levels not heard on the official recordings. Seeing them live is not only aural and visual, but physical experience as well, as these four guys from Barcelona bring in so much enthusiasm and intensity to their concerts that it is impossible just to stand and not join them dancing. Hopefully on their next album they’ll more consistently harness that live energy in the studio.
Grade: 8.4/10
Igor M.
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