INDÍGENA

Indígena is one of those obscure albums that received raving reviews from the few in the know. At first the high praise made complete sense, but gradually, my first impression of having found yet another gem that fell through the cracks of the mainstream has waned to a more regular appreciation.

Mar De Robles play a very Crimson-inspired type of jazz-rock with touches of Latin music. The hard edged jazzy guitar playing and funky rhythms bring Crimson albums such as Discipline and Thrak to mind. Apart from some occasional Latin vocals, Indígena remains entirely instrumental. The Crimson-goes-fusion style is also very reminiscent of Djam Karet, but when comparing Mar De Robles to that band, Djam Karet is sure the more original and interesting option for me.

One of the main problems is how safe and predictable the album sounds after a while. The playing is competent and energetic, and the ripping guitar solos especially are great, but the compositions disappoint. I miss an element of surprise and adventure in the songs, and at times the album even sounds formulaic and uninspired. There are sparkling moments as on Rancagua Nocturno or Cileneos, but there is also average material such as Mar De Robles and Ubuntu.

This is a solid album from competent musicians, but it lacks originality and the songwriting creativity to live up to the true masters in the field. Recommended to fans of the jazzy instrumental side of King Crimson and Djam Karet. There are flashes of excellence, but not enough of them to warrant 4 stars.