El Trio 2013
Las Manos
Breaking the artful serenity, Dominican trinity inject wild idiosyncrasy into prog idiom.
One of the defining features of Latin American rock is its fierceness, the quality that rarely informs art branches of the genre, but this Santiago ensemble with a telling name alchemically marry it all. Their third album thrives on the heavy thrum which, from “Desconectar” on, runs from sparse to tightly coiled, as Jonatan Piña Duluc’s guitar supports his voice with weighty riffs and exquisite strum before taking a flight at unexpected angles. The best example of it is the highly memorable “Reir pa no Llorar”, yet the ensemble truly shine on “Canterbule (Pt. 3)”, a veritable, brass and keyboards included, appropriation of the Canterbury jazz/folk formula.
The rhythm section of Kilvin Peña and Johandy Ureña spices the heady brew but boils it down when it comes to pop samba-sensibilities of the elegant “Buenas Noches”, the acoustic lace of “Fuentes” or the matters of the heart, like in “Tanto Amor”. It gets too eclectic in “Uanabi”, where SABBATH-esque stomp swaps places with a gracious dancing before the two threads twine in a madful twirl yet, once the first intense impression of the album is washed away, the sharp edges create a wondrous edifice to marvel at. Don’t fear the reaper, then.
***4/5
