It wasn’t that long ago when I reviewed José González’s debut album Veneer. Since I don’t pay attention to what I’m writing, I can only assume that I wrote favorably about it and ditto my impression of his newest EP, Stay in the Shade.
For those of you who don’t obsessively memorize my reviews in an attempt to carry me around with you always, José González is a Swedish/Argentinean, singer/songwriter whose accents denote his blend of talent and style. José’s pieces are comprised of soloist serenades, complex guitar strumming and uncomplicated percussion.
González is classically trained and manages to create a lush, full sound off his acoustic strings. His playing blends Latin and European styles, which emanates a sound entirely his own. Lyrics such as, “But if you follow the void it will lead you the way down the hillside to the cemetery to bury the past,” are made even more poignant by González’s Latin flair…as if Nick Drake decided to sway in the way of a Spanish flamenco.
Stay in the Shade EP features an extended version of the song by the same name as well as Kylie Minogue cover and three previously unreleased songs. González is an artist that fans of Drake and Elliott Smith can embrace whole-heartedly.
