By José Gandue @spinning zone
We will persist for a good while, probably until we are exhausted from the daily tasks of this page., that the great musical renewal is being carried out by self-managed women workers. Denying it becomes, each day, an act of stubbornness not worth pursuing, given the growing amount of evidence supporting our assertion. Furthermore, we are going to dare to say something that may sound outlandish to many: If we limit ourselves to the difficult field of Rock, a genre that many, with some justification, believe is already exhausted or practically faded and doomed, It has high hopes for renewal because of the often neglected feminine side. Today we bring you a recent example from San José, Costa Rica, that's worth knowing and listening to repeatedly. This duo is called Half Tangerine and has just released his EP titled 85.
Daniela García and Ana María Aguilar have formed this group since 2016, and their first album was released the following year., It received significant recognition from both the local press and the fans. Then they disappeared off the map (we haven't been able to find an explanation for this misfortune) for five years, until in 2022 they released their single on digital platforms Words are heavy, which is part of this compilation of three tunes, made available to the public a few days ago.
What does Half Tangerine sound like? Like tenderness laced with poison. A rage celebrated with beautiful voices, which never lose their composure, but whose words never cease to pierce the chest and warn that they will not let any nonsense pass you by, just like that. Listening to this duo is to fall into the trap of suspecting that what you have before you is a gentle echo of The Carpenters, and then, as the mesmerizing noise progresses, You realize there's more grit behind that silky presence than you expected. The production is impeccable in the presentation of the voices and in the mixing of the instruments, designing together a kind of roller coaster that knows when to be calm and attentive, and when to explode in the hurricane of distortions. It's indie rock 2023, and they're setting a course worth following.
Yes, they sing in English and they probably aspire more to reach the North American market than the Latin American one. We haven't made a fuss about that for a while now. It's equally easy to accept and celebrate his writing. Words are heavy, As a prime example, they know how to describe heartbreak and relationship breakdowns in a subtle way, without having to resort to speeches by famous and scorned women:
Two years working on myself
For you to tell me I don't even try
I wanted to make it work
I gave you a Saturn V Lego for Christmas
You texted me you wanted to break up
And the truth
Is I wasn't f-ng ready for this
But it's cool, maybe a new song will come out of it
Oh-oh-oh
Two years working on myself
So you can tell me I don't even try.
I wanted to make it work
I gave you a Lego Saturn V for Christmas
You texted me to tell me you wanted to break up
And the truth
I wasn't ready for this
But it's great, maybe a new song will come out of all this.
oh-oh-oh
In short, this is pop-rock with character, exquisite songwriting, and flawless studio work. Three songs to get excited about and maintain faith in the future of music. Self-managed women, just like that.