Album: Subiza
Year: 2010
Style: Dance Pop
Similar Artists: Cut Copy, New Order, Hot Chip, Animal Collective, Junior Senior, Jesus Jones remixes, EMF remixes
"One-Word" Review: upbeat-etheral-dance-euro-pop
Based Out Of: Barcelona, Spain
Label: True Panther Sounds
Subiza - Cover (not included in my version)
Subiza - CD & Back
Subiza (2010)
- Stay Close 4:32
- Real Love 6:06
- Endless Sunset 4:27
- Grow 4:40
- Simple Graces 4:18
- Infinite Desert 4:52
- Come Wander 4:20
- Warmer Places 4:48
- It's All Ours 4:33
Album Rating (1-10): 6.5
Members & Other Bands:
Nacho Alegre - Band Photo
Callan Clendenin - Design
Hans Kruger - Engineer
Tim Saputo - Design
Ekhi Lopetegi - Vox, Bass
Guillermo Astrain - Guitar
Unai Lazcano - Keys
Igor Escudeo - Drums
Unknown-ness: I’ve heard the name before, just from checking the local show listings, but I do not have any idea what they might be like. I’d imagine there are some geeky, indie band, inspired by the Delorean car from Back To The Future. This is a promotional copy that I got free at work, so I don’t have any artwork to go on. But the bio on the back says they are a Spanish band with rock & electronic influences. The more I read, the more it seems like this will be hipster party music.
Album Review: “Stay Close” immediately starts off with a tambourine dance beat and echoing, drippy keys and echoing vocal sounds. A techno beat fades up, but the effects blending together sound more chaotic than rhythmic. Then the main vocals begin, and they sound bold and confident like a brit-pop anthem. The quick fading in and out of the echoing vocal effects makes you feel like you are being attached by swooping birds. There is simply too much here overlapping.
“Real Love” enters with the music played backwards and a euro-dance track laid underneath. The Ahhh-Ahhh synthesized vocals are at the forefront, carrying the melody through the zips and pops. More ethereal lead vocals are used here as the song picks up and bounces with the bass and drum tracks. And frantic and chaotic as the music is, the overall mood is relaxed, patient, inviting and non-threatening. This sounds like an over-produced Pet Shop Boys track. There is a break in the music that resets the action, and giving a break to the driving beat, and features what sounds like seagulls quietly taking off. The melody comes back in reprise at the end, repeating until the song fades out instrument by instrument.
“Endless Sunset” starts out simple and ethereal, but driving beats, even a muffled industrial drum beat, push the happy song onward. Here the happy but monotone vocals remind me a little of New Order. But the song seems to sit there half-cocked, ready to take over as a dance song, but the song never fully kicks in. It ends feeling like the song was off in the distance the whole time.
“Grow” begins with the feeling of a remixed Lightning Seeds song. The production still features lots of echo, but has much more minimal and comprehendible production. It is more of a catchy pop song than the rest so far, but still relies on echoing distorted background vocals and ethereal uplifting dance music. After the vocals end with a minute to go, the dance music takes over and turns into a suds-fest dance party. The vocals come back and boldly follow the new dance rhythm.
“Simple Graces” starts with a little Motown loop, which is quickly abandoned for dance pop with odd accompanying sound effects. The melody is simple, almost to the point where it gets annoying, and is built upon as the song moves forward.
“Infinite Desert” the pounding, repetitive piano lays the framework for this dance-pop song. The vocal melody is annoying in its whiney, drawn out trajectory. And the repetitive, bouncy techno/disco nature of the music is lost on the vocal delivery; they seem contradictory for most of the song.
“Come Wander” possesses a liquid feeling with the synth mood setting loop in the background. The liquid feeling remains, but the echoing vocals take the song on a trippy, drug inducing direction, while the dance piano hook sobers up the song.
“Warmer Places” features a horn in the beginning which sounds like some sort of large electronic bird’s mating call. The chorus is built on echoing call and response vocals overtop a typical dance floor drum machine loop. The background effects also make you feel like you are walking around a casino with random slot machines beeping, bipping and beckoning to you with their looped winning noises.
“It's All Ours” has a muffled hammering beginning that evolves into a tribal conga rhythm. Twinkling bells are added as well as synthesizer single notes. The vocals actually sound a lot like Of Montreal here. Soaring synthesized strings in the background give it a classic quality. The song relaxes around 2:45 only to be rejoined by the tribal drums.
“Real Love” enters with the music played backwards and a euro-dance track laid underneath. The Ahhh-Ahhh synthesized vocals are at the forefront, carrying the melody through the zips and pops. More ethereal lead vocals are used here as the song picks up and bounces with the bass and drum tracks. And frantic and chaotic as the music is, the overall mood is relaxed, patient, inviting and non-threatening. This sounds like an over-produced Pet Shop Boys track. There is a break in the music that resets the action, and giving a break to the driving beat, and features what sounds like seagulls quietly taking off. The melody comes back in reprise at the end, repeating until the song fades out instrument by instrument.
“Endless Sunset” starts out simple and ethereal, but driving beats, even a muffled industrial drum beat, push the happy song onward. Here the happy but monotone vocals remind me a little of New Order. But the song seems to sit there half-cocked, ready to take over as a dance song, but the song never fully kicks in. It ends feeling like the song was off in the distance the whole time.
“Grow” begins with the feeling of a remixed Lightning Seeds song. The production still features lots of echo, but has much more minimal and comprehendible production. It is more of a catchy pop song than the rest so far, but still relies on echoing distorted background vocals and ethereal uplifting dance music. After the vocals end with a minute to go, the dance music takes over and turns into a suds-fest dance party. The vocals come back and boldly follow the new dance rhythm.
“Simple Graces” starts with a little Motown loop, which is quickly abandoned for dance pop with odd accompanying sound effects. The melody is simple, almost to the point where it gets annoying, and is built upon as the song moves forward.
“Infinite Desert” the pounding, repetitive piano lays the framework for this dance-pop song. The vocal melody is annoying in its whiney, drawn out trajectory. And the repetitive, bouncy techno/disco nature of the music is lost on the vocal delivery; they seem contradictory for most of the song.
“Come Wander” possesses a liquid feeling with the synth mood setting loop in the background. The liquid feeling remains, but the echoing vocals take the song on a trippy, drug inducing direction, while the dance piano hook sobers up the song.
“Warmer Places” features a horn in the beginning which sounds like some sort of large electronic bird’s mating call. The chorus is built on echoing call and response vocals overtop a typical dance floor drum machine loop. The background effects also make you feel like you are walking around a casino with random slot machines beeping, bipping and beckoning to you with their looped winning noises.
“It's All Ours” has a muffled hammering beginning that evolves into a tribal conga rhythm. Twinkling bells are added as well as synthesizer single notes. The vocals actually sound a lot like Of Montreal here. Soaring synthesized strings in the background give it a classic quality. The song relaxes around 2:45 only to be rejoined by the tribal drums.
Stand Out Track: Grow
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