By José Gandue @Gandour Photo by Camilo Isaak
They think they're fooling us. They tell us they're a group of designers and architects who meet occasionally to do musical exercises. and that the possibility of their project progressing beyond playing in small venues and having fun with friends is minimal, Almost impossible. And yet they release good songs, promote their work with interesting merchandise, and start appearing on some alternative charts, achieving increasing notoriety. Yes, that's the story of this Bogotá band. The Parallel, made up, as we said before, of renowned professionals from other creative areas, but we must add one detail: some of them have been in recognized groups of the Colombian alternative scene And there are still many people who recognize them for that.
The delicate rock construction of this band's compositions brings with it a seductive guitar presence and a simple yet highly effective approach to bass and drums. In turn, their sonic intentions expand with Fernando Sierra's deep and compelling vocals., achieving a level of elegant fascination that few achieve today in these parts. One further clarification to complete the curious imagery of this group: Fernando Sierra, better known as Elvis, He is a founding member of the legendary electronic band Altered States. Because of his commitments, he says, with strange shyness, that he is a guest of La Paralela., a statement that the other members do not believe, because he already has the same rights and duties as the rest of the group.
His new song, Half-day cowboy, It recalls the best moments of groups like Radio Futura, Gabinete Caligari and other proposals from the Spanish new wave of the eighties, but, at the same time, It has the solidity of contemporary times in the development of its sound. The song tells a good urban story and has a catchy chorus that the listener will find hard to get out of their head. If we were to make a list of the best songs of 2016 right now, Half-day cowboy would occupy a prominent position, without a doubt.
A band that says they do things practically as a hobby publishes material that others with broader aspirations of professionalism and notoriety would envy. Perhaps the results will make La Paralela reflect and admit that they are taking things more seriously than suspected and that it is time for longer breaks from their daily work. to allow us to enjoy his art more often. I hope so.