Moura to Release Fume Santo de Loureiro EP May 31
Moura earned a pretty deep cachet in my mind with the heavy, psychedelic, progressive and Galician folk-informed textures, gorgeous melodies, spacious reach and thoughtful, passionate craft of their 2022 sophomore LP, Axexan, Espreitan (review here). Enough to account for my being excited that their follow-up is an 18-minute three-songer EP intended to serve as a soundtrack for a short film co-written by their drummer? Abso-friggin’-lutely, yes.
I’ll go further and admit I’ve heard the impending Fume Santo de Loureiro, which the Spanish six-piece recorded in Portugal with Marco Lima (Libido Fuzz, Les Nadie, Telea Jacta etc.), and in addition to the version I listened to having an intro that perhaps didn’t make the final cut — okay, so 17-ish minutes, then — those lucky enough to have taken on Axexan, Espreitan will find the new songs driven by the same sense of individualized traditionalism and open creative pulse. If that’s you and you’re bumming out that it’s an EP and not a third full-length right away, sit tight. There’s at least a single LP’s worth of scope in the eight minutes of “Contra os Males de Aireada,” and the keys later in “Canto de Berce,” coupled with the dual vocals and a bit of march in the snare, feel like a Morricone reference well suited to the occasion. With the six-minute “Agoiro / Pranto” leading off by shifting through proggy organ contemplations en route to not-the-EP’s-last percussive jam, I hope you’ll take my word for it that there’s plenty enough depth for you to dive in and not worry about hitting your head.
Fume Santo de Loureiro is due out May 31 on Spinda Records. No audio from it yet, but the last album is at the bottom of the post here, and in a spirit of friendship I urge you to hear it, whether or not you have before. There are few acts I’ve heard in the last couple years who most make me want to chase down doing another radio show, but sometimes you just have to hear a thing.
So please:
MOURA announces new EP ‘Fume santo de loureiro’
After their self-titled debut, the stand-alone single “Muiñeira da Maruxaina” (included as part of compilation boxset Grados. Minutos. Segundos.), and their second studio album ‘Axexan, espreitan’, the band Moura, renowned for their commitment to exploring and preserving Galician tradition, is pleased to announce their upcoming studio EP titled ‘Fume santo de loureiro’, set to be released on May 31 with Spinda Records. This new conceptual EP has been conceived as the original soundtrack for the short film ‘Nai’, directed by filmmaker Tito Refoxo, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Brais do Rei, the band’s current drummer.
The title of this new multidisciplinary project involving members of Moura originates from exorcising and healing expression used in various Galician rituals, which aligns perfectly with the storyline of ‘Nai’. In the short film, a family from the village of Rois (A Coruña, Spain) becomes entangled in a dark tragedy with the disappearance of the little one of the house. Shocked and desperate for answers, the family members are compelled to come together in an attempt to unravel the mystery that has cast shadows over their lives.
MOURA
Fume santo de loureiro
TRACK-LIST:
1. Agoiro / Pranto
2. Contra os males de aireada
3. Canto de Berce
RELEASE:
May 31, 2024
FORMATS:
digital / streaming
compact disc
vinyl
For this project, the band moved to Hertzcontrol Studios in Seixas (Portugal), with the collaboration of producer and engineer Marco Lima. The mastering was handled by Álvaro Gallego, who has been involved in all of Moura’s studio albums to date.
On May 31, 2024, ‘Fume santo de loureiro’ will be available on all streaming platforms, as well as on CD and in a limited and numbered vinyl edition under Spinda Records’ ‘Trippy Series’. The artwork, by Hugo Santeiro (band’s guitar player) represents a significant difference from previous releases; amidst loss and darkness, it opts for a white aesthetic.
The release of the single “Contra os males de aireada” is scheduled for April 25, which will also mark the opportunity to pre-order this new EP by Moura.
Band photo by Leo López.
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