Terrícolas Imbéciles, México
Rating: 73
by Andrew Casillas
So where does a band go after its “flavor of the month” tag expires? Lots of times it goes straight into the bargain bin. A few others escape the peril and become quite the trailblazer in their own right (think TV on the Radio). And then there’s the unsung groups who persevere, making good records for years and years, accumulating some serious fans, yet never really break through. Vicente Gayo is sitting comfortably in this last spot at the moment of their latest release, Despierta y Vence.
First things first: Very happy these guys got the more annoying math-rock tendencies out of them. The hallmarks remain in some places (see opener “Mismo Loop,” and its angular keyboards and dissonance), but for the most part these dudes sound more like Out Hud than anything. A lot of these boils down to straight confidence, really. Case in point: “Interpretacions Sin Razon,” which is any other band’s best the Rapture-rip, which the Ortiz boys embed with enough sneer to make Liam Gallagher clap. And the one-two punch of “Circuitos Doblados” and “Crash,” two of the loudest yet intricate album tracks of this year, will deservedly own your speakers.
All-in-all, this is a very fun, fluid affair. It’s not life-changing or anything, but it’s certainly something to take note of going forward. Vincente Gayo certainly has the tools to break out into that next echelon, but it’s going to take more time. Next time, watch out on the Austin TV-sound-a-likes, and keep working on those effects. But certainly worth the hype.