'Estopía', music that comes out of the body (★★★★✩), and other albums of the week

A quarter of a century later, brothers Jose and David Muñoz continue doing what they do, that is, being people and dedicating themselves to what they like, that is, making songs and sharing them.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
16 March 2024 Saturday 11:05
4 Reads
'Estopía', music that comes out of the body (★★★★✩), and other albums of the week

A quarter of a century later, brothers Jose and David Muñoz continue doing what they do, that is, being people and dedicating themselves to what they like, that is, making songs and sharing them. Coherent and transparent, Estopía's lyrics generally speak about them without hesitation, in a sometimes repeated manner, about some of the behavior of others and about seeing how the environment and the profession evolve over time... without the values ​​that are important to them barely have varied. In the song that closes the album La ranchera, they make it clear: “Let no one be fooled, I am no longer 20 years old/I have made fun of destiny, and it has turned out very well for me;/not to be like those artists, who “They come back as balladeers, so that the crowd can start dancing slowly on the dance floor.”

Composed and produced entirely by them, Estopía is notable for its sound and lyrical content (and not only for the happy and controversial cover), where they expose their weapons from the present. And the first thing is that the rumba continues to rule the way of use, with more slow-moving additions when it plays and other times more leisurely. Whether in the initial start with El día que tú te marches or in the third cut where they pay tribute to Catalan rumba and El Pescaílla... and also to Barcelona ("li dèien 'El Pescaílla' i era molt bona persona/Però the one that most pleases is the city of Barcelona. And it is in the final moments of this song where they verbalize the key to their career, their proposal and, ultimately, their being: “The truest Rumba is the one that comes out of the body.”

The Robinson brothers exhibit good musical health in the new original material they publish after three decades of Before the frost...Until the freeze, although they do not reveal anything new in their decalogue. A formula, yes, comforting based on unambiguous rock and well soaked in blues, as demonstrated by Rich's guitar in Rats and clowns or in Bleed it dry

The British producer teaches his attractive electroacoustic vocabulary and brings it to the most generalist fan with undeniable good taste. On this occasion he moves in a sea of ​​textures and colors based on the electronic and the instrumental, a captivating movement throughout eight songs, which could find its ambient peak in the fascinating Three drums.

Reference of a Barcelona scene that should be claimed more, the quintet enjoys a look at some springs full of canonical rock and roll, in a splendid marriage with soul, swing and rockabilly flavors. The contagious rhythms and the unparalleled voice of Jonathan Herrero (Totiboy or, above all, Sketch of a broken man) are the best guarantee.