CIUDAD

Tánger reveals itself as a group capable of surpassing themselves with each new recording, keeping a strong focus on a constant essence of their own while enriching their sound with renewing textures and colors. If their sophomore work "La Otra Cara" brought a more articulated sound than their very good debut album, their 2006 opus "Ciudad" finds them expanding their musical nucleus. The album is quite strong, and there's an additional merit to it: its conception and production took ages, during which two replacing guitarists came and went (after Ignacio Lois' departure), and even bassist/main writer Luis Colucci had to play the guitar parts in a couple of tracks. The opener 'Avenida' starts with street noises, including a pronounced series of hooter blows that sets the rhythm pace for the music, a punchy rocker that turns out to be quite catchy. The softer interlude gives it an elegant air. Just like 'Avenida', 'Entorno' bears a typical Tánger rocky touch, although this time with added jazzy cadences. 'Entorno' is the first track in which newcomer guitarist Eduardo Ferreira, showing that his skill and taste make him capable to fit into the band's overall sound. Of all the rockers in the album, 'Máscaras' is my favorite, since its freshness makes it irresistible. Its 5/4 main motif is alternated with psychedelic interludes delivered with genuine enthusiasm. Between track 1 and 2, 'Luna Urbana' moves into dreamlike territories, with the flute lines and synth layers provoking melancholy thoughts, plus an amazing bass guitar solo that brings some constrained energy right before the coda. Everything works perfectly in this number as integrated in a unit. 'Plaza Mayor' comprises elements from Argentinean Creole folklore: it is a delicate jazz-rock number built upon a tango-inspired tempo. Immediate following is another piece with even stronger folkish ambiences, 'Cortada', which brings the magic of milonga. Yet another example of how this band seems to work effortlessly as a unit, almost as if they were intentionally hiding the subtle complexity of the compositions: the dynamic rhythm patterns, the playful acoustic guitar chords, the elegant flute lines and the extra adornments on melodica (played by a guest) together mingle in a very moving piece. It feels too short to me, but again, it's OK. The evocative nature of music is prolonged in the next number, the two part 'Pasacalle y Fugazzetta' is a delicate jazz-rock exercise that provides a gentler and a less gentle recreation of an effective motif. 'Ferrocarril' (Spanish for railway) gets started with the sound of a train passing. Even though this is an electric piece, the energy is constrained in order to provide images of a mental journey more than just portraying the frenzy of iron on steel through a railroad travel: for that purpose, the band chose to focus on the textures of jazz-rock. 'Ochava' closes down the album with the recovery of milonga- inspired airs, this time more joyfully than 'Cortada' did. All in all, "Ciudad" is one of the most beautiful and cleverly crafted albums to come out of South America during the last months, and indeed, it establishes Tánger as a major (albeit mostly ignored) act in Argentina's current rock scene.