Melenas - Ahora

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 8 / 3 / 2024

Label: Trouble in Mind
Format: 12"

Splashing dream-pop on third album which proves a change of direction for Spanish group Melenas

Review

During the pandemic lockdown Melenas ('Manes') covered Grauzone's '(I would like to be an) Polar Bear' (on Bandcamp only) and this marks the band's change to new wave pop. ‘Ahora’ (which translates in English as 'Now') consists of absolute sweeties with a tender bite rather than the fierce melodies on their 2017 debut and 'Dias Raros' from 2020. The female four-piece picked up vintage synthesizers. Maria Del Amor Zubiaur and Oihana Herrera Erneta abandoned their keyboards and now churn out memorable chords on Korg Delta and Yamaha synths. Although it has a riff on '1986' reminiscent of the Human League', the 'Ahora' album does not, however. dwell in the past. A mere reference point would be The Raincoats as it is the context and song structure that makes this LP stand out. (Pressed again by Chicago's Smashed Plastic where the personnel do not wear protective clothing, hence the dust and paper particles in the grooves. Wash the LP thoroughly before playing but first of all read what's on the label.) The delicate and intricate beauty of Pamplona's 'Manes' shows best on the sequence 'Dos Pasajeros', 'Flor de la Frontera' and 'Bang' with elegant synths acting as a flying carpet. 'Flor de la Frontera' is an absolute gem of a song with a teaser mystery synth riff at the beginning and celestial harmonies, followed with sounds that sooner sound like a harpsichord. It is a song of epic proportions. 'Bang' will fit into almost any radio programme or broad-minded DJ set. A driving new wave beat that gets stronger by the minute interferes with a fine mini composition. Next on side 2 the mood becomes more reflective with the melancholic 'Promesas'. Heading for an eruption on 'Tú y Yo' the synths sound like feline screams. And in case you've forgotten what Melenas used to sound like without synthesizers, there's a grand display on acoustic snares on the penultimate gem. 'Mal'. '1,000 Canciones', a marching hymn about a thousand songs, rounds off this magnificent little trip into the Now! sound.