El P?ramo hablan del desierto. Actually, they don’t “hablan” (or whatever the correct verb form is; apologies for my ignorance of the beautiful Spanish language) at all, they’re instrumental. But musically, their free-flowing jams and Colour Hazey tones point the way to wind-carved dunes that stretch for miles. The Madrid four-piece, whose name translates to The Wasteland, offer a simple take on desert rock but don’t go as far as ripping anyone off. Their influences are easily discernable — Colour Haze and Kyuss being principle — but the seven tracks on their Alone Records self-titled debut boast a warmth and character that’s all their own.

Santi, Santi, Jorge and David (drums, bass, guitar and guitar, respectively) offer their ’70s psych wares in a variety of packages, be it the expanse of opener “Varicela,” which at 11:53 does more than merely set the tone for the rest of El P?ramo or the heavier, riffier, “Sirope de Arena,” which follows “La Benedici?n de Eolo,” a track that eases the transition by combining jamming with more straight ahead guitar work.

As ever with roots stoner rock, and even more so with the European variety than with their US counterparts who will try anything to avoid the label, El P?ramo don’t necessarily branch out much from the well established parameters of the style sound-wise — that is, they’re not bringing in unexpected instrumentation or off-the-wall timing — but as the Los Natas-esque lines that run through the early part of “Infecci?n de Escorpi?n” sweetly ring out, the lack of pretentiousness alone is enough to carry the song. It’s a rare genre that’s so approachable? that bands can get together and release albums purely because they love the music. The vibe I get from El P?ramo is that they are as much saluting the masters of the style as they are emulating them.

The double Santi rhythm section gives an excellent showing, lending a low end drive and much-needed crash to the end of “Infecci?n de Escorpi?n” and rumbling and tapping out snare ghost notes beneath the Sky Valley noodling of “El Aguij?n,” the second of the album’s three tracks over the 10-minute mark. There is a definite natural chemistry that persists throughout El P?ramo, and as the lengthy tom-beating section of “El Aguij?n” leads into the full band returning for the first time at 5:09, it’s plain to hear that although the band aren’t necessarily the most original, the intent is geared more toward listeners losing themselves in the overall trance-inducing effect of the music. In instances where that’s the case, having a unit as tight and together as El P?ramo is essential.

“J?piter” (so help me, I will never understand these translations!) features the album’s catchiest riff, and closer “La Polvareda” grooves the record out in a semi-jazzy manner befitting Elephant Riders-era Clutch. The latter track is spacier than either “El Aguij?n” or the opener and closes El P?ramo on a bent guitar note as if to signify a return yet to be made. Their style isn’t innovative, but El P?ramo have plenty to offer anyone who digs the sound of sand and sun. The record is anything but a wasteland.

El P?ramo on MySpace

Alone Records/The Stone Circle

Tags: Alone Records, El Páramo, Instrumetal, Spain

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 2:50 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.