Recommended: Fourteto Alihuen – “Motivos”

There’s an appealing, almost haphazard delivery to the music of Motivos, and it’s the reason the music of Fourteto Alihuen can be dramatic and ferocious and unrestrained, and yet still be easy to embrace.  The unpredictable bursts of intensity on “La Luna y el Sol” snap right into place with its offhand murmurs of melody.  “Bizcochitos” achieves a tone bordering on solemnity, but it’s casual development is more comparable to boozy conversations between old friends.  And while the melody of “Giroscopio” flares strong and bright at the edges and its tempo is a tumble down a slick flight of stairs, the volatility comes off as whimsical chatter than it does a cry for help.  It’s this tempering of its wilder elements that transforms the music into something far more cheerful, and the music is an experience to enjoy rather than a challenge to overcome.  It’s a balancing act not easily attained, but the quartet does an admirable job threading it through this fine recording.

Your album personnel:  Santiago Beis (piano, sax), Juan Ibarra (drums), Antonino Restuccia (double bass) and Ian Alihuen Elizondo (guitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Montevideo, Uruguay.

Available at:  Bandcamp