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Jose Gonzales - Crosses
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Year :: 2005
Label :: Peacefrog
Cat No :: PFG065CD
Genre :: Acoustic
Tracks :: 04
Size :: 15,6 MB
Source :: CDDA
Bitrate :: VBRKBps
Rel. Date :: 16/03/2005
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Born and bread in Gothenburg, Sweden, of Argentine
parents, 25 year-old Jose Gonzalez is a rising star
in Scandinavia, with the world at his feet. A recent
top ten hit in Sweden, "Crosses" - the lead track on
this, Joses first ever UK release - is poised to
stake its claim in our own hit parade, and beyond.
Equally beloved by seriously besotted critics as he
is cherished by hordes of Swedish punters, Jose is
widely tipped as the "next big thing" to emerge from
Gothenburg in the wake of Soundtrack (Of Our Lives).
Unlike Sweden's rockier recent exports, however,
Joses is a sober, subtle and deeply personal calling.
With just his own dextrously picked classical guitar
and a captivating, ineffably familiar voice, he
ushers the listener into a hushed, spell-like
intimacy; stealing the heart with aching, timeless
melodies and filling the head with confessional,
life-affirming and gently provocative lyrical
intrigues.
Recorded with the minimum of fuss at home on basic
equipment, "Crosses" seems to encapsulate Joses
eclectic influences - flamenco, Joy Division, bossa
nova - along with undeniable flourishes of John
Martyn, Will Oldham, Tim Buckley and Arthur Russell?s
World Of Echo (and even a hint of Paul Simon). Yet,
Joses achievement is to nod to these antecedents
while crafting a sublimely emotional signature that
is undeniably all his own ? a unique and compelling
new addition to the singer-songwriter firmament.
It?s something borne out by the stark, timeless
beauty of "Hints", as it refines the mechanics of
personal relationships down to a poetic quintessence;
and it's also there in the mysterious, almost hymnal
"Deadweight On Velveteen" (uncover the mystery, tell
everyone what you see) and the beautifully sung and
exquisitely finger-picked "Storm".
Enchanting, serious and, once heard, impossible to
shake off, Jose Gonzalez's private-yet-universal
music seems destined to become the real "sound track
of our lives".
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[01] Crosses [02:42]
[02] Hints [03:51]
[03] Deadweight on Velveteen [03:35]
[04] Storm [02:49]
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UK Independent