Sonido Cosmico

#instrumental, #altCountry, #western, #noir, #southwesternRock, #softRock, #ambient

This mellow and psychedelic offering from the Ecuadorian-born, Swiss-based Hermanos Gutiérrez delivers their characteristic instrumental fusion of southwestern noir stylings with spacey ambience. The multi-layered electric guitar duets (along with their various backings) deftly switch between complex and restrained stylings, and cover a wide emotional range you could set against a beautifully cinematographed Western without straying from the brothers' unique gentleness.

RIYL Calexico, M. Ward, mellower Devotchka, Los Lobos, Orphan Mae era Laura Veirs
Favs 2, 4, 5

1. Somber and gentle homesick sound. Begins w/ sporadic picking acoustic guitar that gains focus, w/ bent notes of steel string guitar and quiet accompanying violin swells.
2. Curious and adventurous, spacey steel string and nylon guitars strum, with upbeat drumming and a quick fadeout ending.
3. Funky, psychedelic cumbia-inspired song with noir vibes, a bent note electric guitar melody, and prominent shaker + hand-drum percussion.
4. Floating M. Ward-esque electric nylon guitar, with feisty percussion of cymbals + ratchet sounds, and accompanying zither bursts in the refrain
5. Sounds like a country murder ballad on the steel string. Cool, Halloweeny accompanying synth sustains and beeping counterpoints
6. Upbeat & romantic jazzy soft rock tune. Intro with a quiet soulful backing synth, behind frilly fronted guitar and complex picking on backing guitar.
7. Uneasy, questioning, and floaty sound, with ghostly backing synth (and eventually violins), prominent guitar harmonics backed with picked electric guitar.
8. Funky, upbeat, mysterious split time tune with wandering bent notes and a spry chiptune synth. Feels like being lost amongst sand dunes.
9. Feels like a friendly, upbeat farewell. Intro is a quiet unaccompanied bluesy guitar before accompanying strumming and cool slide guitars join.
10. Interplaying electric guitars setting out on a quest, with subtle hand-drum percussion and a quiet flute trill in the background.
11. Mournful electric guitar duo, with quiet and echoey synth chords in the background.
12. Cool choppy effects applied to a Western ride into the sunset, with a hollow echoing rattle percussion.