Entre Ríos

We suppose that pop fans from Europe, the States or Japan would be in serious trouble if they had to name any alternative outfit from Argentina. In Spain things are not very different, with the aggravating fact that we speak the same language as in that Southamerican country, but the few Argentinian bands that reach our radio stations are too commcercial and very similar to the usual mainstream pop that you c…

We suppose that pop fans from Europe, the States or Japan would be in serious trouble if they had to name any alternative outfit from Argentina. In Spain things are not very different, with the aggravating fact that we speak the same language as in that Southamerican country, but the few Argentinian bands that reach our radio stations are too commcercial and very similar to the usual mainstream pop that you can find elsewhere. But of course there are interesting bands with new, fresh ideas all over the world.

ENTRE RÍOS (“Between rivers”) is a three piece formed by Isol (vocals), Gabriel Lucena (programming and arrangements) and Sebastián Carreras (composer and lyrics writer). The latter is also the managing director of a small indie label from Buenos Aires called Indice Virgen. That label released that year a compilation with the best songs by LE MANS, one of Elefant’s most popular bands. And he’s planning to discover ANA D (another Elefant artist) to Argentinian audiences as well.

Gabriel and Sebastián had a musical project called TUS HERMOSOS, which released a 1998 album called “Anatomía de melancolía”; some changes in the band’s concept, plus the incorporation of sweet Isol on vocals, brought the current name of ENTRE RÍOS.

ENTRE RÍOS manage to go beyond the limits of the “electronic pop” tag, just with some scarce equipment. They offer us elegant, ethereal pop music that brings trouble when trying to place it in any category or compare it to music made by any other band. And that doesn’t mean we are in front of a very intricate thing; on the contrary, simplicity and transparence are the key words to describe their music. Quiet songs carefully arranged, softly sang by Isol (which somehow reminds us of Spanish sixties singer Jeanette), excellent melodies and lyrics in Spanish that try to avoid trite territories. The result can be found in songs as exquisite as “Tuve” (“Once I had”), “Sólo soñaba” (“I was only dreaming”) or  “Litoral” (“Seaboard”), with its excellent chorus.

The musical box moods of the brief and delicate “Por ti” (“For you”) is the final track of this single that means to be an introduction not only of ENTRE RÍOS but of a whole alternative scene that is there waiting to be discovered.