By José Gandue @Gandour Archive photos House Taken Over
Every music lover must have similar stories in their catalog of memories. There are albums that made us jump, dance like nobody could see us, and sing along to every single song, no matter how off-key our voices were. In the nineties, every album that crossed my path that tended to be loud, yet intimate and melodically structured like good pop, thrilled me immeasurably. I was fascinated by anything released in that decade by The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Catherine Wheel, Lush, Swervedriver, and other British bands with styles close to that sonic explosion. Journalists, always so creative and sometimes so vague in their definitions, They labeled these types of groups with names like dream pop, Indie rock, neo psychedelia, noise pop, but the preferred nickname was shoegaze, Since it was common for members of that type of band to play looking down at the ground without making eye contact with their audience, only looking, out of simple and pure shyness, at their shoes during most of their performances.
Almost thirty years later, with the cassettes from that era lost in some abandoned corner of all those rooms that were my bedrooms during all this time, and forced to turn to Spotify every time I get that damn nostalgia, I appreciate the new wave of beautifully resonant bands emerging from Latin America, and especially the excellent crop of music coming out of Chile. The band based in the southern city of Concepción has just released their EP. House Taken Over And the truth is that it applies everywhere to be considered A great album worthy of being known and listened to in every corner of this continent.
This album, which contains five songs and lasts only 24 minutes, never falters. Captivating in its speed, in the subtle aggression of its guitars and in the careful craftsmanship of its melodies. This quartet has strived to achieve the perfect balance in their sound mix between the necessary aggression to be displayed as a forceful stridency, and sufficient sensitivity in the elaboration of their cadence. so that any of his followers can hum along to his lyrics without losing track of his exquisite melody. The five recordings that comprise this compilation are splendid. Pizarnik, This song, a sure tribute to the Argentine poet of the last century, should be included in the list of the most precious tunes to learn to appreciate the good sounds of our times. Buffy, the last track on the EP, It is a dense, vibrant gem that helps us get the right dose of euphoria we all need every day.
Casa Tomada has revived the best principles of musical trends from three decades ago and adapted them to contemporary sensibilities. This Chilean quartet has understood that shoegaze It has its proper rebirth in these turbulent times and has published material that deserves to be welcomed in each of our homes, In times of quarantine, to regain the desire to jump against the four walls that surround us, and thus feel life again as it should be.
