Melenas-s/t

Imagine if the Feelies’ matter of fact Lou Reed-ish vocals were replaced by female harmonies and they sang entirely in Spanish. Well, you can stop imagining things as this sound actually exists! Arising from Northern Spain, Pamplona to be exact, this foursome has only been together since summer 2016, but they are already making international waves.  Melenas (which translates to Mop of Hair) released this stunning self-titled debut in November 2017. “Cartel de neón” sets the tone for the rest of the album with its churning and clanging guitars signaling the charge while being propelled forward by a pulsating Krautrock rhythm via Stereolab.

They proceed to downshift on “Menitras” by employing taunt harmonies and atmospheric keyboards, evoking the melodic “Lovelife” moments of Lush. "Gira" has them deftly interlacing their Fender Jazzmaster guitar, Fender Mustang bass, stripped-down drums and Nord keyboard into a satisfying whole. “Sales” bursts forth with onrushing sound waves which lift and carry listeners to shore and leaves them with smiles on their faces. Entering with a bucking bronco kickbeat, “Volaremos” exemplifies their innate knack of being immediate, while also being competent and in command. At this point, their storming sound falls somewhere between the garage growl of Lyres and echoes of the late great Louie Louie (from Philadelphia). “¿Dónde estás?” reveals not only their finely tuned attention to harmonies, but also melodies, arrangements and overall sound. This musical finesse could be attributed to guitarist and vocalist Oihana, who was classically trained on the violin, but they truly flourish as a dexterous and dynamic unit as seen from their daytime slot at Primavera Sound 2019.



The quartet ace the perfect pop quiz with the dashing and ultra-catchy “Tú me haces lo mismo.” on top-tier Heavenly levels. From an U.S. standpoint, they also seemingly share sonic sensibilities with some of Spain’s Elefant bands like Juniper Moon, Nosoträsh, and Vacaciones who were active in late ‘90s and early 2000s. Their music videos further elicit some of disparate parts which comprise their vast milieu ranging from kiddie Nerf blasters to Etta James. Displaying their affinity for Slumber Party, “Alfajarín” generates a surging sound that ensnares the listening audience right back under with their hypnotic undertow and the reverb up at Matthew Smith levels!  In Spanish interviews, they have expressed their dreams of playing live in Austin, TX. This record continues to hold on to that dream, while creating anticipation for additional guitar-driven pop songs to arrive from this blazing group.