Detailed Reviews [Bauer - 2007 - "En Otra Ciudad"]

Prolusion. Argentina's BAUER are back with their new output, "En Otra Ciudad", which is created by the same five musicians who two years ago launched, well, their debut album, "Astronauto Olvidado".

Analysis. Upon the first spin I had the impression that this Bauer's second album follows strictly in the footsteps of "Astronauto Olvidado", since much of the music here is both unhurried and reflective too. However, already my next listening experience has shown that, while there is indeed certain common ground between the recordings, "En Otra Ciudad" definitely represents a step forward, compared to its predecessor. The similarity between Bauer and their primary benefactor Pink Floyd is still in evidence, but the influence is much less striking this time around, whereas the quantity of the group's own musical discoveries has grown, the disc's eleven tracks all without exception possessing qualities that are already peculiar exclusively to their makers. Nonetheless it is so far rather early to assert their music is imbued with what could in total be regarded as their signature style. The band is really in their element still only when playing post-Space Rock, deploying elements belonging to other genres not as actively as I would like them to. I won't touch on the said style anymore, meaning when describing the tracks, as it is crucial to the sound of each. Two of the three vocal-free pieces, Dock Surf and La Entrevista, both vary in pace and theme alike, as also does the largely instrumental concluding track Mas Lejos de Casa, all these additionally standing out for some psychedelic features. The music is quite original, only episodically bringing to mind Pink Floyd, the latter remark being relevant regarding all the-yet-to-be-named tracks too, especially since the other bands, whose echoes are heard on the recording, all tasted the legacy of that mighty English ensemble as well. The two songs revealing Doom Metal-like movements in places, El Hombre de Blanco and Camino a Oxnard, both remind me to some degree of a cross between The Ar from Tiamat's "Wildhoney" and The Sleep of No Dreaming from "Signify" by Porcupine Tree, though the atmospheric finale of the latter is also reminiscent of Planets, also from "Wildhoney". The largely instrumental Un Auto Para Lynn concludes the line of the disc's highlights which in this particular case include the compositions that are notable for any distinct transitions. Again, Porcupine Tree and Tiamat both can serve as a relative reference here too, just with the deduction of the tune's mid-section where almost everything reminds me of Eloy, which in turn is what the remaining vocal-free piece, the airy Dios Quiere Mi Chocolate, suggests throughout. Okay, the one with programmed drums and the sounds of congas, El Mismo Lugar, shifts in both pace and theme too, but nevertheless comes across as a ballad overall, while the remaining three tracks, Un Dia Todo el Veterano, El Valle and Avanza, are all ballad-like throughout, each as much resembling (a highly modified, yet still with a retro feeling) Pink Floyd as A Pocket Size Sun by, once again, Tiamat.

Conclusion. While not something groundbreakingly progressive, Bauer's "En Otra Ciudad" is in all senses a good effort, a set of well-conceived compositions, none of which is a makeweight, some possessing an irresistible charm that is in the end certainly nothing other than musical magic. Quite frankly, I like the hero of this occasion better than any of the other CDs with the same rating that I have reviewed for this update.

VM: July 20, 2007

Related Links:

Viajero Inmovil Records
Bauer