April 27, 2010

Repost: Introducing Corte Real

Repost from August 13, 2009 (because this band is great and you need to hear them):

I recently received an email from Corte Real, a band hailing from Versailles that cites its influences as the Arcade Fire, Kinks, Pogues and The Walkmen. But after a few listens from two of the group's offerings—"Ligne 15" and "Navigator"—one influence outweighs the rest: Bob Dylan. The tracks specifically recall "Queen Jane Approximately" and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" from Highway 61 Revisited—ballads predominately based around beautifully messy organ and piano with Dylan using his unique vocal cadence and emphasis. Corte Real, named after the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real (thanks Wikipedia), use loose and occasionally wandering arrangements that give particular weight to the song's lyrics and style of delivery—one that is undeniably Dylan-esque. The great feat here is that, despite the endless waves of Dylan imitators, these songs sound fresh and are quite beautifully produced.

Corte Real - "Ligne 15"
Corte Real - "Navigator"

1 comment:

  1. Ah yes, I definitely hear that influence! They remind me a bit of the Clientele, too. I really like them. Excited to see where these guys go!

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