FREAK

Freak is the fourth and, on the moment I write this review, most recent release by Argentinian multi-instrumentalist Alejandro Matos. The music on the album is mostly driven by guitar and more so than the preceding release, atmospheric synths, over which Alejandro often sings memorable vocal melodies. The melodies here often are more memorable than on Persona, and again are sung in his native language. Though Alejandro plays all the instruments himself, the album features a broad range of instruments, giving it an overall rich feel.

As mentioned before, Alejandro sings in his native language, which in combination with in particular the atmospheric synths and gives the album a mysterious and exotic feel. Perhaps a good example of this is the opening of "El As Alla", with its ethnic percussion and dark synths, that gradually get accompanied by other instruments and vocals. The musicianship on the album in general is excellent, though the drums aren't really special. I don't really mind this though, as it already stuns me how one man can master so many instruments. Also Alejandro's vocals sound very clean and passionate. My only really negative point is that the album seems to lack diversity, which causes it to lack a dynamic feel at times. This might be because I do not understand the lyircs, which I suppose leaves me less touched than if I would understand them, but also the synths tend to get a bit dull and repetative at times.

Nevertheless, Freak is a very good release that unfortunately tends to drag a bit. The album has a more atmospheric feel than the previous release and in general a softer approach. Three stars is a suitable rating for it in my opinion, as it's a good release but not an oustanding one.