NOS CASAMOS EN AFRICA, BI-LOG
The Poni Republic, Venezuela ***
Rating: 67
By Jean-Stephane Beriot
The artwork of Nos Casamos en Africa doesn’t quite fit our reviewing format, Polaroid on Polaroid? I guess why not. This is the fourth Venezuelan act to release an EP through The Poni Republic, following the revelations of Todosantos, Jovenes y Sexys and Nuuro. Bi-Log is very lo-fi, the band and the sound coming out of them is naturally cute, I just wish these songs would actually transport me somewhere; instead, they do a good job salivating my thirst to visit another continent or revisit an emotion. It starts with “Lectura Obligatoria”, a very complex song that would seem like it took dozens of people to record, it is highly textured and nicely vocalized. The first impression is pleasant, reminded me of the now gone Mexican pop electronic group Fase or even Belanova’s first record Cocktail. “Devil Me” is all about identity; it asks somebody else for a little affection and help so she can “remember who I am.” Some of these songs need a higher centralization of vocals so they don’t drown in between the collage of sounds. The band breathes new life into “Issues”, a track by Hey Chica! (Whose EP is weak, but this song is quite good), even if Bi-Log doesn’t exactly make the song their own, this kind of collaborative works are thrilling and necessary, not to mention the long term friendships that come as an outcome from this. The fifth and last piece “Mi Sostenido” features Loocila from Jovenes y Sexys, whose voice has to be one of my favorites in today’s Latin pop. She plays keys and distant background vocals, so pay close attention to this multi-layered piece. The inspiration behind the album is more fascinating than the actual EP (read it on the release), and does give sense to the recurrent adventurous vibe felt throughout the album. A good start for yet another promising act from Venezuela, this group of young enthusiastic artists (add Ulises Hadjis & Domingo en Llamas) are giving us some of the best pop coming from our region.