Orlando
Grand Silence
Everlasting Records

Life is full of 'what ifs'.

What if I hadn't spent most of my youth chasing skirts and drinking beer? Maybe I could be now the renowned artist I always wanted to be. What if the state of Florida hadn't turned his back to justice and democracy? Surely the Iraq War wouldn't have happened at all. What if the chicken had crossed the street? Guess what...

Well, I've got something by the name of Orlando in my hands. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with the polemical rise of George W. Bush to the self-proclaimed throne of the world. Instead, they're a quite interesting band from Madrid, who had recently seen released their second album, Grand Silence on Everlasting Records.

And their happiness mustn't end with that. Two of their tracks ("Farewell" and "Yet to come") have been produced by Tony Doogan. Doesn't sound familiar?? Take a look at your copy of Mogwai's last album. Yes, he is the same person. Not only that. The rest of the album, produced by Javier Ferrás and the group itself, has the same delicate and sensitive feeling that distances this release from the middle-of-the-road sound production usually made here.

Violins, organ, gloomy mid-tempos, silk atmospheres, and the precious but powerful voice of Ana Béjar (think of her as the Spanish PJ) must give you an idea of how worthy this album is. Add it up a beautiful artwork, and we have one of the most remarkable records we will have from a Spanish artist this year.

What if Orlando had only filled this album with a little more risky and audacious compositions? Maybe now we could be talking about one of the best records ever made in this country.

Copyright © 2003 Luis Mata