The Singles Jukebox

We start day two of our survey of Latin Grammy Best New Artist nominees with some Mexico-Texas border indie-pop…

[Video][Website]
[7.29]

Juana Giaimo: “Dulce Mal” is more than nostalgic; it sounds haunted by a love that is still too present. The Chamanas know how to build this almost eerie atmosphere very well to join the lingering vocals. But I still wish the Chamanas could give certain edginess to their music — especially because they already did in a fantastic cover.
[7]

Ramzi Awn: A clever drum pad and an exceptional voice go a long way. Combined with top-notch production, a song is born. 
[8]

Iain Mew: This lounge electronic indie sound can get a bit too kitsch, as Greg Kurstin has demonstrated a couple of times. The Chamanas keep “Dulce Mal” too dark and alien for that, though. A great vocal with great filters, what sounds like a failing alarm and a final triumphant bit of stylophone add up to a delicious and unpredictable bit of uneasy listening.
[8]

Alfred Soto: Breathy and sweet, its synths hinting at malice like a Black Box Recorder track from long ago, “Dulce Mal” would’ve honored its title shorn of a minute.
[7]

Katie Gill: I have been struggling for a while to come up with what I think about this song. I mean… it’s good? There are parts of it I like: those lilty vocals run through a distortion filter sound borderline ethereal at parts. And I adore the tones of the synth at the end. But the song just DRAGS. I get that it’s supposed to sound sad, slow, and wistful due to the subject matter but what takes four minutes seems to take an eternity. Add in a slightly cheesy spoken word bit and I still end up of two minds about the whole thing.
[5]

Edward Okulicz: I wonder if speaking Spanish would help me understand this more… not what the words mean, but why the male spoken word section is there. For mine, it’s a little imperfection in the middle of an otherwise-perfect atmosphere. The production is a little world of intricate weirdness and there’s a compelling singer and melody on top. And that little synth/keyboard/whatever break at the end is delightful, too. It’d take a lot worse than a weird spoken bit to wreck something this strong, though.
[8]

Jonathan Bogart: It will be a cold day in hell before a Mexican border band influenced by Suicide and the Cocteau Twins doesn’t worm their way into my heart. The sugary keyboard pizzicati are just corny enough for Paulina Reza’s deadpan soprano whisper to sound airily elegant over them rather than drearily narcotic. And as a son of the Southwest, the video just feels like home.
[8]