 Orquesta
Del Desierto
"Dos" CD
MeteorCity
Records
Genres: desert rock, Southern rock, rock
MeteorCity
PO Box 40322
Albuquerque NM
87196
Jul 19 - 25 2004 |
Dos, Orquesta Del Desierto's second album, is yet
another fine chapter in MeteorCity's discography. It is a hard
disc to classify, but it seems to fall under the banner of Southern
"desert rock," light and breezy, but with certain
"hard" overtones (members of Wool, Goatsnake,
and Scream are all entangled in the band's personnel
list.) "Summer" is an amazing piece of music - easily
the best on this disc. Its intense, beautiful
build-up-and-release structure is positively inspiring.
"Life Without Color" is also an impressive piece of Southern
rock, with a bit of a jam band quality to it. "Rope"
and "Reaching Out," in the same vein, are both infectious, memorable rock
numbers.
The album's consistent quality wears off a bit in its second half,
when the disc begins to dish out hooks and melodies a bit less
frequently. There is still lots to enjoy, but it will require
more patience to be fully appreciated. "Over Here" and
"Sleeping the Dream" are deeply atmospheric, relying on mood
and texture as opposed to melodies and vocal hooks. Although
"Someday" and the rollicking "What in the World"
do add a bit of an accessible flair, neither are as notably memorable
as the disc's earlier songs.
Dos is an incredibly enjoyable album; I could see it as a
launching pad for a new "desert-rock" genre. Don't
count Orquesta Del Desierto out because they're different; take
this opportunity to discover a unique and promising sound.
87%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 10 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
