En la Aurora de Nueva York by James Arenas: EP Review
Mixing the lines between a dark jungle aura and deep-rooted blues James Arenas paints a picturesque sound in his melodic EP “En la Aurora de Nueva York.” The amazing production is the work of Jason Binnick. James and Jason are both visionary musical colloborators. The EP has a sense of wonder that exists between the singer’s moody vocals and atmospheric instrumentation.
The EP opens up with “Quien” which is a perfect musical backdrop fitting for an expedition heavily entrenched in Colombian culture. Mixing beautiful echo-toned guitars with percussion pieces that most probably invite the bongos in. The singer’s voice is quite poetic and has a melancholic essence to it. In “Polilla” the twist of psychedelic music is present vividly. The sensational distorted guitar chords are quite serene and have this desert theme to them. What I enjoyed was the grooving bass line, which was on a loop and managed to have a very Chicano-themed almost Carlos Santana-inspired arrangement to it. So far, the EP is an immense surprise and truly has a theatrical sensation to it. Hearing “Sosiego” sent chills down my spine. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the guitars blended with the singer’s baritone voice has a nice feeling pertaining to “exit music” from a reflective film.
“En la Aurora de Nueva York” by James Arenas is a delightful EP from start to finish. It encompasses a remarkable manner of musical escapism that can be tough to replicate. In its essence, the EP can be a wonderful soundtrack to any form of South American drama or thoughtful flick.
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Review by: Damien Reid