GUSTAVO CERATI Bocanada
(BMG)
Gustavo
Cerati is an Argentine singer songwriter, formerly a member of Soda Stereo, and
“Bocanada”, his second solo album, was released in 1999. Plunging into the album
without the benefit of chronological or lyrical context, I can only really
reference it against the bands and songs it reminds me of. Perhaps fortunately,
Cerati’s magpie ears ensure there are plenty of those.
Given the album’s title,
it’s almost beyond coincidence that I’m not infrequently reminded of the work of
reclusive Scottish electronica duo Boards Of Canada. Then there are the
occasional splodges of sampled Avalanches-style plunder pop, the coruscating
Philip Glass keyboards that dominate “Alma” and the suggestions of an acoustic
guitar-wielding Air. The title track is woozily reminiscent of second division
Bristolian trip-hoppers Alpha, and “Verbo Carne” sounds like a slightly less
plummy Divine Comedy on a Bond theme assignment. “Rio Babel” is caught in
possession of a string motif very similar (but not enough to warrant a credit)
to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Momma”, but “Paseo Immoral”’s glammy
electrosleaze evades comparisons with Goldfrapp’s “Strict Machine” by preceding
it by four years.
A not unenjoyable album,
“Bocanada” is a rich, warm patchwork of ideas, but not all of them are his.