The world feels like a better place when you listen to Maria Rodés sing. Her latest album, “Fuimos Los Dos” has been one of the biggest releases of 2022, praised by audiences and critics, included on the year’s best of lists in tons of different media. And we still have some of her most marvelous moments to pull out. Specifically, the title track is one of those moments. The song has echoes of frontiers, flamenco details and that Peruvian flute in the chorus that makes it sound like a Peruvian western. TINDERSTICKS, CALEXICO, Lily & Madeleine, Chabuca Granda, Judee Sill, influences that Maria puts together with moderation, integrity, precious arrangements and delicate vocal interpretations. Passionate, beautiful, exquisite. With a chorus that brings tears to the eyes. The music video to go along with this Digital Single, once again directed by her regular collaborator in this realm, Aitor Urbaneja (who understands how to represent Rodés‘ musical language so well), develops the song’s themes, filmed in a deep black and white, full of fog and rainy days, and that ending. That ending. The song, behind its emotional and personal power, hides a message of reconciliation, a call for peace, a cry for silence. When sadness looks for hope.

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After eight albums, Maria Rodés’ talent has been made absolutely clear on numerous occasions. But “Fuimos Los Dos” is a special album, and not just because it’s her first solo album with Elefant Records (after that wonder she shared with LA ESTRELLA DE DAVID titled “Contigo”). We are probably looking at her most intimate work, where she combines singer-songwriting, Latin American folklore and sonic experimentation to express her vision of the end of romantic relationships. It is an absolute delight, and her marvelous voice dances between minute, delicate, exquisite arrangements.

“Fuimos Los Dos” is a bittersweet album. It tells a story that ends during the confinement, where the lockdown is an opportunity to look directly at the faults of a dying relationship: “este silencio lo tendremos que hablar” (we will have to talk about this silence) she sings in one of the songs. The thirteen tracks on the album give that silence a voice, untangling the past and the present, and taking us to other break-ups she hasn’t totally gotten over. All the songs were written during confinement, like a diary, all at once and without editing, to not think too much, and to let the time pass. Thanks to this personal challenge that started out as a kind of game – writing a song a day – the singer-songwriter was able to avoid getting caught up in perfectionism and give us the perfect freshness of the original [ Read more ]

After her recent album with LA ESTRELLA DE DAVID, Maria Rodés is soon going to release her first album with Elefant Records. “Recordarte” is a wonderful example of what you will find there: her soft, sweet, dreamy voice; whispering, but full of volume; her pleasant, intimate, everyday stories. Our Adrianne Lenker, always handy with the arrangements, an expert in creating intimate spaces with the listener, versatile in her capacity as a song writer. “Recordarte” begins with a rhythmic arpeggio, that slowly adds subtle arrangements, creating a universe of sound that could have been the work of Sufjan Stevens. This song, where Maria shows off her unique personality, comparable to great folk singers like Silvia Pérez Cruz, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten, comes with a video by Aitor Urbaneja, with whom she has worked on several occasions. This video takes us to a teenager’s last days of August as she moves through her childhood summer home alone, showing us, as she does, the different stages of her solitude, her insecurities, her doubts and memories of a love. Every last note is perfectly measured, nothing is in excess, there is so much done with so little… Now get ready for “Fuimos Los Dos” album.

TRACKLIST: 01 Recordarte

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