TWISTED STEMS

Guapo's lastest EP has them venturing into seemingly untested waters. Beautiful was never a word I would use to describe their music. Haunting, intense, creative, even frightening would work...but not beautiful. This record breaks through that barrier. The Heliotrope is a piece of music I will use to say beauty without actually saying words. The mornful piano melody is gracefully accompanied by a minimal drum work and an ever present bass that adds a real depth to this piece. A jazzy element is also alive in this piece giving it an upbeat edge in feel, but not in feeling. An essential track from Guapo fans. The Selenotrope reintroduces the "normal" Guapo atmosphere, as menacing and uneasy. It starts with a simple yet errie piano part, and slowly builds up in intensity, adding more and more percussion and darker bass work. While not as boisterous as most of their other songs, The Selenotrope is much more nervous and twitchy. Personally, this is the kind of music I would expect to be the backdrop to a nightmare. And just like that...it's over.

All in all this is a great musical experience. Firmly rooted in the RIO style, Twisted Stems contorts its way through everything fans come to expect from Guapo and more. While I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point, this still makes for an excellent edition for any collection, especially for diehard RIO fans. 4 stars.

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