Supremely smoky first time collaboration between Spanish vocalist Eva Suárez and French guitarist Thomas Barrière, a pair of artists who have individually produced and performed a range of music over the past decade or so before more recently coming together for Adela. Their debut outing as a duo is a result of Suárez's relocation to France, and is directly influenced by the passing of her mother, for whom the album is named. If the emotional inspiration is driven by that experience, and Adela certainly shaped greatly by Suárez's distinctively rich, sonorous voice, then Barrière also proves the perfect foil, adorning these heavily-rendered folk incantations with a range of sonic details, be they haunted drones, various waltzing stringed instruments or chiming bells and whistles. The Spanish language lyrics add another layer of mystery, which I'd also argue would be present whether you can understand them or not, something strange and divine embedded in Suárez's communications. It undoubtedly comes from a different place, but I couldn't help but be reminded of those early 'freak folk' transmissions from the likes of Charalambides, Tower Recordings or Masaki Batoh. The difference perhaps is the songs of Adela are of a different origin - this isn't psych or even punk aesthetics folded into avant folk expressions, but something that feels far more personal and culturally specific, sounds descendent from a different tradition. That Suárez and Barrière are channeling that tradition in memory of a person from a previous generation feels pointedly significant..
FFO: Charalambides, Tower Recordings, Masaki Batoh, Annelies Monsere
