AUCAN

Well I had a chance to listen to this on cassette a few times and now I find it pretty high on my wish list. Unfortunately, though Aucan’s second and final album is readily available, this one seems to be rather difficult to find. There is apparently a Musea 2-in- 1 reissue of both Aucan albums, but the few places I’ve seen it listed are all out-of-stock. Not to fear though, I’m sure a copy will pop up soon.

And it is worth having if you are a prog folk fan, or just a fan of Latin American folk music in general. These guys are Argentinean, but they remind me a fair bit of the Chilean band Los Jaivas on their first two albums before that band developed a more mainstream and far more elaborated sound. They have also been compared to Camel, and I can understand why. These are largely folk-leaning compositions, and rather casual and subdued for the most part; but they are most certainly not the kind of strumming acoustic guitar and wistful vocals you might expect. There’s a little bite here and there just to keep things lively and interesting, and the piano, keyboard and guitar arrangements are complex enough at times to give the impression of British prog rock influences from bands like Camel and probably Wind & Wuthering-era Genesis as well.

But there are also strumming acoustic guitars and wistful vocals, and that’s okay - you should expect some of that in a prog folk album.

Aucan is the brainchild of four brothers of the Perez family, formed shortly before this album and disbanded following their second release. The instrumentation is rather conventional for a folk band, with the exception of brother Pablo’s exceptional and emotional cello; Miguel’s flute; and Eugenio’s occasional charango playing. The rest is pretty much piano, guitar, bass and drums. But those three additional instruments combined with the storytelling vocals make for a completely charming set of tracks that stick in your mind well after they stop playing.

The production is a bit uneven, with some electric guitar parts seeming to kind of wash out from time to time and some of the percussion getting buried behind drums and vocals, but mostly the mix is quite decent.

Most of the tracks are similar with nostalgia-dripped cello, plain but lively piano; and two or sometimes three part vocal harmonies. I don’t speak much Spanish but it wouldn’t matter since a fair amount of the lyrics seems to be sort of abstract poetry anyway. On a couple tracks the brothers decide to jack up the electric guitars and stash the cello for a more rocking effect, particularly “Canto al Sí” and the closing “Día Suburbano”. In other places they opt for a more percussive ethnic sound (“Anónimo que Va”, “Para Chocolate”); and on still others there is some keyboard and effects experimentation mixed with otherwise fairly straightforward, almost pop sounds (“Cueca de los Augurios”). Finally there are the few classical-leaning and largely acoustic tunes that are responsible for the Camel and Genesis comparisons. “Tristeza y Miel” is the most obvious, but the dedication song “Preludio de Alejandro” and “Poema Tuyo” fit this description as well.

This is a very decent prog folk album and an excellent example of modern South American folk music as well. The brothers would enlist an impressive lineup of guests for their second and final album, but this one has the advantage of being their first attempt and has a certain purist charm that makes me think it is the better of the two. Four stars without hesitation, and highly recommended.

peace