Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés

Clamor

FIRST LISTEN: At their most poppy, Maria Arnal and Marcel Bagés sound like a Catalan compliment to Hayley Williams; at their most ethereal, they form a Bjorklike soundtrack to the worshipping of their obviously ominous yet quirky gods.

Hard to put it into words but I'm blown away by how great this album is. Incredibly beautiful, glitchy and atmospheric production throughout and the vocal performances to partner it are so powerful and engaging. Although the lyrics are in a language I don't understand (I'll have to try and find a translation to understand the themes more) this is easily one of the best albums I've heard so far this year and I highly suggest giving it a listen if you're a fan of any art pop in general.

Fav ... read more

Really cool and exciting sophomore effort from Maria i Marcel. It expands on the affecting Iberian folk of their debut in such a unique, and like others have already said, Björk-esque way. Not the most accessible record, but it has some serious bops (Ventura, Fiera de Mí, Tras de Ti, Jaque). The record is coyly addicting, so don't be surprised when you find yourself returning to it day after day. Also, the cover rocks.

Not into much immersion but can have some really finely executed production. Absolutely consistent vocals are well, with great energy and really always sound good with the varied production. Has a really refined and quite a strong sound overall. Can be super dreamy and interesting.

“Milagro” has good movement in the vocals, and are supported by the full instrumental. The arrival could have been led to better. There are neat textures in “Ventura”, providing a great outro ... read more