By José Gandue @Gandour
I'm a hypocrite. I loudly proclaim that I despise nostalgia, but then, to easily revive my heart, I put on one of the five albums I'd take to a desert island., each with a history spanning more than twenty years. At those moments it inevitably sounds Screamadelica, of Primal Scream; Technique, of New Order; Going Black again, of Ride; Between 10th and 11th, of The Charlatans UK, And, of course, almost topping the list, Holy Colors, of Gustavo Cerati and Daniel Melero.
Holy colors, With three decades behind it, it starts from an essential premise that some great albums enjoy: It was an album that was born without any commercial obligation on top of it, rather it managed to be a formula for escape, a different enjoyment, a break from the routine. One of those projects that, in its adventurous spirit, has no possibility of failure, In that, if it doesn't work, it would be just another bit of fun, a curiosity within the artist's career, one of those collector's items where there will always be something unusual to discover. Based on that premise, it's all gain. And all of this is perfect for Cerati, perhaps the most popular artist in contemporary Latin American music, the one with so many hits with his band, but also the one who..., Between his father's illness and his desire to break the mold and experiment with new machines and new sounds, He teamed up with the irreverent Melero, the character who was guiding the steps of several independent projects in Buenos Aires, the artist whom the others detested. They sat down, surely with the premise of (I'm irresponsibly guessing) «"Let's see what comes of all this."». It could have remained just a fun whim of the «"enfant terrible"» most famous on the continent along with the crazy guy on the block, but no.
This album stands out for many reasons. On one hand, it signifies a redefinition of the word "rock" in Cerati's dictionary. It is their more confident acceptance of all current technology and its use to enhance compositions. Instrumental strength can come from various sources. Holy Colors It's an album that, in Cerati's catalog, can still be labeled as guitar-driven., But here there is freedom in the noise, there are couplings, there is poison almost uncontrolled. It's a gritty album, and that grit is an essential part of its soul. Furthermore, Melero seems completely at ease using the sonic machines that define the ambient textures. and they give it that impact of music meant to be listened to more privately, outside of stadiums. If what Cerati presented with his band Soda Stereo was for what would now be the main stage of a festival, with the unrestrained masses singing all the songs, then what Cerati presented with his band Soda Stereo was something else entirely. Holy Colors It could have been heard in the alternative tent alongside the connoisseurs and those seeking immediate resonance, what would be popular in a time.
Another undeniable detail: Holy Colors It's a sexy, suggestive, daring album. It's an album where many of the tracks are danceable, inviting ecstasy and the euphoria of the dance floor. Its lyrics are elegantly sensual., But at the same time, it dares to question the definition of love, its existence, its usefulness. These are the doubts that an adult man, who isn't obligated to please the masses, can afford to have. And this is where I cross the line and may sound insolent, but, after this experience, when Cerati resumed his work with his trio, It presents what for me is the most interesting album of Soda Stereo's career, Dynamo. The sales figures, compared to the other titles, contradict what I'm saying, perhaps because it's an album that's too daring for what was being done before.
Is it an exaggeration to say that, thirty years later, Colores Santos could sound as new as it did back then and be celebrated as it was back then? Maybe. I want to think that topics like The Venus tide, A journey through the universe And, especially, the recording that gives the compilation its title, would have a strong impact on a musical scene eager for surprises. This album still has much to teach and even more to celebrate. An album that, it must be acknowledged, opened many unthinkable doors, especially in the mind of Gustavo Cerati.
