By José Gandue @Gandour
Rock needs to be saved. Yes, you heard right. We can't deny it, the genre has become filled with a lot of nonsense, with unnecessary posturing., of inconsistent radicalisms, of aromas of daring kitsch, of cavernous misogyny, Enough of these harmless shortcuts that feel like the bland yogurt they offer us in different flavors every week at the supermarket. Enough of these false prophets who want to show off their testosterone-fueled excesses and their supposedly anti-establishment rhetoric that coexists perfectly well with the perks of power. We must reclaim our original rebellion, the courageous attitude that confronts the tedium of the conventional. Perhaps we should look for new heroes, or rather, new heroines. Yes, perhaps what will save rock right now is the feminine side we've so often scorned, that force we've always labeled as weak and always feared. Perhaps one of these heroines doesn't have to come from Anglo-Saxon lands, from the traditional circles of the developed world. Perhaps she comes from Guadalajara itself and, although she sings most of her songs in English, she rises before us on stage every night like a Chichimec warrior, a sweeping princess in supposedly foreign territory, resisting the tide with brilliant music. Yes, that's right, we have her. Her name is Teri Gender Bender and his band, Le Butcherettes, releases his highly anticipated album bi/MENTAL.
Under the production of Jerry Harrison, ex Talking Heads, This compilation of thirteen songs is released, which we can describe as a sum of elegant rudeness, full of details of vocal experimentation and unusual sound textures, They recapture elements worthy of progressive rock and other resonant expressions of the seventies, without losing sight of the present. Within the usual intensity of rock, this new album brings novel electronic instrumental moments that add a powerful corrosive edge, adding a dynamism that contrasts appropriately with moments of soothing tenderness that Gender Bender expresses in his vocals. It is an album with a multitude of details that are revealed as it is played repeatedly. It's an album that reveals itself little by little in its beauty and complexity, but it captivates from the first listen, especially with songs like father/ELOHIM, struggle/STRUGGLHey /BREATH.
In the end, bi/MENTAL It is a work that effectively strives (and we are delighted by this) to renew that beloved but ailing musical art called Rock. The evolution seen in the career of this Mexican artist and her band, unstoppable since 2007, It adds hope to a genre that at times seems condemned to the auditory museums, But luckily, he still has the breath, through this kind of talent, to continue living.