If the fact that Ale Campos was in Iggy Pop's band doesn't get your attention, my ravings might not either, I guess. Campos and Emile Milgrim are Las Nubes. The band's new album, after a single on Thurston Moore's imprint, is here. It's called Tormentas Malsanas, and it might be the best thing to come out of Florida in ages.
When you hear something like "Enredados (Misty's Mix)", you hear the roar of life. The track, like many here, is joyously affirmative. There's still power in the rock beast and Las Nubes are determined to harness it to their will. Elsewhere, "Agua Plastica" churns with a post-grunge sense of harmony and noise, even as "Pesada" marries the lumbering brutality of something like Tad with the sense of vocal prowess from a band like Veruca Salt. Things reach a peak on "Drop In, Ya Freaks", the peppy closer on Tormentas Malsanas. Las Nubes blend crunchy hooks, fuzz, soothing vocals, and a sense of melody into something that, in another age, would be a big hit on college radio. It's ferocious and wildly catchy, and I totally, totally love it!
While there's quite a bit of nuance in the lengthy "Caricia", the song seems like it should be at the end of the album, and not sandwiched in the middle. That one, a throwback to the Daydream Nation kind of navigation of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics, isn't as vital as the rest of Tormentas Malsanas. The majority of this album is full of punchy, feedback-y workouts that suggest the members of this band have been absorbing the right influences from all the cool bands. And Las Nubes here join the ranks of cool bands themselves. Dig it!
Tormentas Malsanas by Las Nubes is out now. Details below.
[Photo: Sal Rispoli]