JOSE GONZALEZ has been causing quite a stir this year with his precocious acoustic talent. I’m just amazed that with a name like his he’s actually Swedish.
His debut ‘Crosses’ EP and ‘Veneer’ album alerted the musical world to his talent but it is perhaps his quirky choice of cover versions for classical guitar that has given him a novelty factor that may in time become an albatross around his neck. His live set includes a take of Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ and for the ubiquitous Zane Lowe he included in his session a version of Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrops’.
For this 5-track EP he’s directed his attentions towards the ultimate source of disposable pop in Kylie’s ‘Hand On Your Heart’, an – ahem – 80s’ meisterwerk from her SAW days. Thanks mainly to his subdued yet melodic singing voice - tinged with a deep sigh of regret that is impossible to manufacture - he unexpectedly reveals the heart and soul of La Minogue’s song and the end result is a bitter-sweet ode to love that positively drips with emotion.
However, more attention should be drawn to the symbiosis between GONZALEZ and his guitar, a pairing so naturally strong it feels like his instrument of choice is a fifth limb or even the miraculous physical manifestation of the notion of ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve’; or perhaps, in GONZALEZ’S case, under your arm and across your thigh.
GONZALEZ’S Argentinean roots clearly inform the pace and arrangements of his songs, the lyrical folk music of South America (tropicalia, flamenco and tango) is easy to make out but the way his voice breathes as much life into the music as his guitar means that it is impossible to have one without the other; although GONZALEZ begs to differ by including a successful instrumental track.
His guitar work is exceptional being bright and rhythmic with a flowing mellifluous quality that belies his youthful age. On ‘Stay In The Shade’ – a track that suggests GONZALEZ is a shy man unused to being in the spotlight – and ‘Sensing Owls’ he equates to a South American Nick Drake or Elliott Smith at their most introspective. It’s not that his voice is like either artist; the parallel is drawn from the deeply personal yet universally recognisable atmosphere he evokes, capturing his innermost thoughts and demons with such a strong grasp of melody and a clear understanding of the power of a song.
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‘Down The Hillside’ offers a more strident and upbeat tone but its breeziness is undercut by GONZALEZ’S downbeat vocals and lyrics. The aforementioned instrumental is imaginatively entitled ‘Instr.’ and has a cinematic ambience that offers other tantalising vistas for GONZALEZ to explore with his guitar alone: a soundtrack opportunity is surely just around the corner.
Despite GONZALEZ being hyped to the rooftops and beyond he is manifestly a talent to watch but one that will need to be handled carefully to ensure that his talent is nurtured rather than sucked dry by the demands that arise from such a steep stratospheric rise in popularity and critical acclaim . There is a part of me that wishes he was being discovered after his second or third album, having already found a place for his songs and himself within the industry but without the microscopic analysis to which he must now submit himself and his music.
So early on in his career it must be very hard to equate the innate personal quality of his songs with the impersonal familiarity of critics and ardent fans. If you have yet to submit yourself to his effortless charms then forget the hype and just imagine you’ve unearthed a revelation that everyone else has yet to discover.
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