De verdad de verdad quiero que te mueras, ElaineThe Poni Republic, Venezuela
Rating: 78
By Carlos Reyes
Elaine’s stripped-down protopunk is born and given death in their first and only album De Verdad, De Verdad Quiero Que Te Mueras. The Venezuelan trio that was “too danceable to be punk, and too noisy to be danceable” introduced their galloping noise rock in last year’s Desnuditos EP, promising to come back with a full-length debut, and they did. Unfortunately, this first presentation also signifies the end of the band, which decided to end its course with a sexy and alluring album the band members should feel very proud of. De verdad… is one of the most confident rock albums of the year; they’ve put life and death on the line, crafting an album that rolls around its own inquisitional orbital.
Elaine’s first recordings sound psychotically youthful (particulary "Yes Louis"), not in the realm of bedroom pop, but as kids taking their instruments from a garage to an unsupervised college dorm. They embody the college punk spirit through well-choreographed skuzzy rock that’s grainy enough to shoegaze to, while keeping a girly sexiness to it. Elaine is the beautiful punk girl making honor contracts behind doors; she’s misbehaved, but self-conscious of her seductive wisdom (“Rochelle”). If the album cover isn’t enough to show the band’s glamorous sexiness, perhaps “Puta” will do it. The song’s genuine exuberant drums set up the conditions for a kind of roaring anti-anthem, “puta la madre que te pario.”
What’s fantastic about this record is that although the themes go all over the place, the production is top-notch, it doesn’t get lost in its own cleverness or ambition. “Verushka” is a good example of the band showing good enough cleavage to unveil their noise, it’s funky but glossy. The tracks previously presented in Desnuditos are still the big highlights here, but we can add “Horror Punk” (rockabilly + tropical hooks) to that privileged spot, it’s so fun it’s almost arousing. De Verdad De Verdad Quiero Que Te Mueras has plenty of room to show off its rhythmic abilities, it’s self-destructive when it needs to be, but above all, it’s one of the sexiest albums of the year.