CIUDAD DE PAPEL

This is one of the best South American prog-folk recordings of the year 2007 - La Desooorden set a pace of intensity and musicality that feels patently overwhelming and captivating, even for those who can't speak or understand Spanish. Like a river of creative inertia, the flowing sounds comprised in "Ciudad de Papel" deliver a sort of continuity of the art-rock-fusion style matured in "La Isla de los Muertos". "Ciudad de Papel" finds the band exploring a more aggressive side to their essentially sophisticated style, hence putting less emphasis on the mystical ambiences (prominent in the preceding effort) while providing more textures and complexity to the sonic fold. In the harder places, the band's overall sound tends to get (moderately) rough among the colorful amalgam displayed across the album's repertoire. The calmer moments bring moods of melodic vibrations not unlike their legendary compatriots of Congreso. The guitarist's input is more featured given the fact that he seeks more room for his soloing among the abundant sax deliveries and the emphatic rhythm section's cadences. With a tribal yet subtle structure, the opener 'Fumarolas del Alma' sets the mood for the lament on the environment's deflagration that will conform this album's overall concept. Guest violinist Benjamín Ruz dialogues masterfully wih Pfeifer's sax lines. The namesake track raises the energy dose, featuring powerful guitar riffing; the calmer sections that appear in the middle provide enough variation as to keep things somewhat mysterious, until the initial motif returns triumphantly with an epic sensitivity. Two instrumentals follow: 'El Llamado del Tototral' features didgeridoo and ethnic percussive blowing, while 'El Gran Acuerdo' goes to jazz-rock oriented places, in a way similarly to Akinetón Retard at their less explosive. For the later, the presence of guests on violin and trumpet effectively enriches the overall sound. 'Migraciones Eternas' kind of sets a blending of the first two song's atmospheres, in this way developing a strong cohesion for the tracklist, but additionally, this track comprises some resources of enhancement that almost border on free-jazz amidst the fusionesque vibe. 'La Voz de los Niños' portrays a more cinematographic aura, with a children's choir ethereally delivering their lines over the featured piano arpeggios. 'Aciión por los Cisnes' kicks off exactly where the previous track had been developed, that is, magical textures with a cinematographic aspect. That is, until the full ensemble gets on in full force and sets a bonfire of exquisite complexity, even going to more somber places that tracks 1, 2 or 5. 'Tralcao' is mostly acoustically-driven, including a delicious soprano sax solo that brings a fresh air of beauty among the mysteries exorcised by the percussions. 'Homínidos' finds the band leaning pretty close to avant-rock, while 'Los Trabajadores' brings back some of the energy of track 2, only with a more pronounced funky vibe to it. When it comes to the rockier side of the band, the most explicit example in this album has o be 'E-N-E-U-J', a hard number in which the band absorbs the influences of LZ and Red Hot Chili Peppers: the drummer shines particularly here (from a rocking point of view, that is, since he has been an individual hero all along, actually). The passages in which the guest trumpeter appears serve to add variation to the rack's general rocking spirit. Last, but not least, the eerie closer 'Boletos Para Ir' brings an air of reflection and melancholy, in accord with the pessimistic perspective about the environment that has been underlying beneath the amgier sets of lyrics in previous tracks. If the opening song had bore a candid, almost melancholic softness, 'Boletos Para Ir' is more obviously sad. The relaxing feel brought in by the acoustic guitar, the soprano sax and the bass sets a convenient contrast to the lyrics' fatality, while the violin flights and trumpet ornaments enhance the dreamy textures. "Ciudad de Papel" is another victory of art in the South American world of art-rock: La Desooorden is a name that definitely should be paid more attention to in the online circles of prog.