CHINA ES OTRA CULTURA,LINDA MIRADA
Independiente, Spain
Rating: 72
By Jean-Stephane Beriot
For a girl who loves the 80s and its oh-so-glamorous (and sometimes erratic) pop, China es Otra Cultura is a nice recollection of the sounds of such decade with a bit of a twist. Linda Mirada is one of those gorgeous projects that don’t necessarily need a defining sound to work; in fact, her influences overtake most of the album but in a very safe and forgiving way. This nine-piece debut isn’t trying to make statements or contribute to music; it rather offers a good number of songs for selective dance rooms.
Musically, China es Otra Cultura isn’t very original but it sure knows how to showcase its lustrous personality. You know, it’s like the girl who sees pop culture and makes outfits out of it, taking trends from a bunch of places and wears them as her own, because she has the talent to do so. Linda Mirada is very much like a Gary Low meets Kate Nash, a balanced modern girl with plenty of stories to gossip through music. “San Valentin” has already established itself as one of Spain’s indie hits of the year. It’s very Italian and very American, but at the same time, anyone (within our niche) would recognize its Spanish charm and somewhat humorous lyricism.
She’s no hit wonder; in fact, you could shuffle the album and make singles out of every song here. Talking about singles, “Jose” would make an amazing single as I feel it’s the song were she best displays her artistry, and because the tune is fucking addictive: “Yo no sé que le pasa a José, que las 24 horas solo piensa en bailar.” The opener “Tokyo” plays as a big celebration, it’s the album’s best song too. The album is however flawed by a number of songs that although catchy, can’t overpass its oldie approach and fail to translate themselves into present times. Linda Mirada is a beautiful excess of bubble-gum pop, and a great distraction if you’re looking for one.