DESAYUNO CONTINENTAL,
EXTRAPERLO
Mushroom Pillow, Spain *** 1/2
Rating: 77
By Carlos Reyes
Extraperlo is the latest band coming out of Spain dressing pop with tropicalia and thinking vocals should not overtake or suspend its surroundings. They follow the sun and breeze of El Guincho’s Alegranza!, the ideals of Coconot’s Cosa Astral, and the techno emblematic of Joe Crepusculo’s Escuela de Zebras and Supercrepus. It’s not as experimental as its influences but it’s actually harder to swallow as it struggles to reveal its true identity, the new Spanish indie movement has its very own tricks especially with pop. They’re signed under Mushroom Pillow which has proven to be one of our most beloved labels; the Madrid-based brand recently wowed us with the releases of Triangulo de Amor Bizarro and Sr. Chinarro. The trends among these guys seem to emphasize the tribal sound, supporting it with touches of modernity but ultimately remaining in the 90s, and having obscure deep vocals to contrast the vibrant sunny sounds of its background. These tracks are however, a reflection of the urban man giving himself a chance to know its own fabricated nature. For Extraperlo, the ideal opportunity or justification to reach stability while being happy is to bring friendship along to a resort with disco nights during the summer. First great single “Las Palmeras del Amor” despite having such a cheesy title bounces around with its intrepid lyrics on self-reflection, but of course they’re not to be taken seriously or at least, it’s hard to assimilate truth among strange bold vocals that don’t even want to be there in the first place. The environment seems simple enough, but some tracks like “Entre las plantas” and “Wornie” not only struggle to stand out, but position themselves as plot holes that do very little to become memorable. “Bañadores” is an astonishing track mostly because of its bridge continuum with the following piece “Cavalcade.” Both tracks serve as the neck of an uneven musical approach that is simply too delightful and at moments strangely amusing to not care about it, Desayuno Continental is full of warmth, and that's nothing but a luxurious gift for the upcoming spring break.