There's a smoothness and force here on this, the third album from Spain's Melenas. Ahora pulses with energy, and the cuts are uniformly engaging. The Trouble in Mind Records release is also seemingly the start of a new chapter in the Melenas story.
Where earlier releases were charming, this one is ambitious. But it's a gambit that pays off. Ahora is solid, solid, solid. The buzzing "K2" channels early Stereolab, while the space-rock of "1986" is looser. "Bang", one of the real highlights here, circles back upon itself with a beautiful riff that's pure Broadcast. While Melenas seem comfortable operating with some obvious influences informing their vibe, I really enjoyed "Mal" too. On this one, the shaggy guitar and churning groove seem to be etching a new style for the quartet, one less informed by all the bands I've referenced above. Similarly, the elegiac "Promesas" charms in a more down-tempo fashion.
All of Ahora is a delight. There's a lot here that hits at the same sonic sweet spots that you might have heard on records from En Attendant Ana on the same label. But this is Melenas' moment and they are now coming into their own. It doesn't matter that the influences on their sound are a bit obvious, not when the results are so warm and utterly inviting.
Ahora by Melenas is out now via Trouble in Mind Records.
[Photo: Dani Canto]