Era, Entre RíosUltrapop, Argentina
Rating: 76
by Carlos Reyes
For more than a decade, Entre Ríos won the hearts of thousands of fans throughout Iberoamerica; it is by far, the most emblematic Argentinean indie-pop band in recent memory. The band’s twee & soothing pop melodies earned them intercontinental success ever since their debut Litoral came to wash away the harmful stains of the golden age of Argentinean rock.
Bright musicians and good storytellers, but above all, inveterate romantics. It’s that romanticism towards their creative vision that today finds them saying goodbye to their fans and an exceptional career. Times have changed and with the collapse of the physical album, the band feels the skeleton of their music approach is missing. Leader and founder Sebastián Carreras confessed feeling lost among the new media and mediums, and while many of us think they were adapting just fine, we can’t do nothing but respect their heart-trenching decision. Entre Ríos leaves us with some good-to-great records, including Era, the last set.
Entre Ríos’ formation might have been unsteady throughout the entire decade of their existence, but every piece in every album carries the band’s watermark. Most final albums (even by great bands) end up drowning in sentimentalism, you won’t get that here, Entre Ríos is far too classy for such provocateur practices. If you’ve been a devoted fan like us, you already know what this record sounds like. The affectionate pop in “Lo Puesto” or “Frontera” are reminders of the band’s little concern to revolutionize their sound; they had other priorities, like exploring melody through the grounds of geographic intuition and the songs' own short-sentence nihilism.
What you do get in Era, is the summation of a band faithful to its prime and affectionate to its gestures. Velvety composition and unfussy lyricism are enough for Entre Ríos to burnish your furniture (something you’re very unlikely to get from this review). Album standouts include the quasar “De Mi”, the neo-religious “Cierto Es”, and the galloping/fatalistic “Galope.” If we take away the significance of Era as the last train-stop, it would still be a pretty nostalgic and a quite remarkable record. The legacy of the band will prevail on their healthy discography, in this beautiful last album, and in the many bands they've clearly influenced (Dënver, Quiero Club, Nubes En Mi Casa, etc). Farewell to Entre Ríos, you’ve left some heartstrings behind, and a handful of chants to remember.