Customer Reviews

Amatoria

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Any time ESL offers up a new release from their stable of incredibly talented bands, I get extremely excited - none more so than for Federico Aubele (and maybe Thievery).

See my earlier review for Gran Hotel Buenos Aires to get a feel for my opinion on his music (Panamericana holds similar status in my view, if that helps).

Amatoria is a decent album from a very talented musician, and after taking it out for a spin, I can say - for me - it is not of the same caliber as his previous offerings.

Another reviewer here notes the use of his own vocals instead of the primarily female-driven sounds of his earlier albums. While I don't think he's a terrible singer, I do feel that in doing so, much of that hypnotic, enchanting sound/feel was lost.

This album is also quite a bit slower/sleepier than his other two...more siesta-ish strumming, almost lackadaisical in its presentation. And this isn't necessarily a "bad" thing, it's just...different, and probably not what the majority of his fans were expecting from a follow-up record.

His singing and slower pacing combine to deliver an album that is pleasant to listen to, and quite a bit more South American in feel to it (somehow his other releases feel like they fuse many styles together, while this is primarily Argentine guitar and vocals only).

I'll close by noting that an unfortunate side effect of starred-review systems is that people tend to default to one rating or another (5 if you like it, 1 if you don't). I enjoy the granularity of multiple options, which is why this album earns 3-stars from me - there is absolutely nothing "wrong" with it...this album is "good", whereas I feel that his first two are truly "great", and I'm still looking forward to the next release!

Federico lost his own and particular style in this album! Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Thievery Corporation is no longer the producer of his music. Panamericana & Gran Hotel Buenos Aires are, by far, better albums than this... Please Federico, back to the roots!!! Amatoria sounds like Miguel Bose's drama songs...

I've still great expectations for your future music!!!

With _Amatoria_, Federico Aubele delves deeper into dub than before -- the opening track, "Luna Y Sol" is like a slow Spanish reggae, while "Suena Mi Guitarra" picks up the speed a slight bit. He announces in the liner notes that `no keyboards were used in this album,' and as a result there's certainly more of an organic, acoustic feel to it -- aside from the programmed beats, that is. Aubele also takes vocal duties front and center, and his pitch sounds much more consistent than on his previous album (though "El Sabor" has some issues). Natalie Clavier, however, does make a welcome appearance on "Este Amor," a swooning love song, while "Hermosa" has what sounds like a lap steel guitar whinnying in the background for a delicate tone. "Del Ayer" and "Sempre Nueva" bring back sharper beats, though they're not as pronounced as earlier. The final, title track is a low-key instrumental, a perfect closer for yet another new direction for Aubele.

I've recently discovered the music of Argentine singer-songwriter Federico Aubele. Blending Mexican Bolero, Jamaican dub and reggae, American ambient and Argentine tango, Aubele recently released "Amatoria", his third full-length album.

Aubele who received worldwide notice from his song "Esta Noche" featured on the fifth season of TV series "Alias", "Amatoria" is an album that is passionate, romantic and sexy as it brings together Federico's suave and smooth vocals, guitar playing in combination with subtle beats.

For the first track "luna y sol" which opens up with an acoustic guitar with a reggae vibe, Aubele said he received the inspiration to create the song after accidentally bumping into four keys while drinking a cup of tea and talking to his wife while sitting with his out-of-tune piano.

Aubele said, "A nice melody came out, but since the piano was so out of tune, each key was not the right note. I saw that the tea bag had a message on it, which said `Let Good Things Come to You.' I said, `That's it!' I went up and played the riff on my guitar and started developing the melody."

Other tracks that I absolute enjoyed were "te quiero a ti" which has a Spanish style of feel but just emanates sexiness and passion and follows up with that passion "Hermosa" which is a straightforward Mexican-style bolero love song. For "siempre nuevo", along with the cool guitar riff is an upbeat drum machine and just emanates coolness. "Suena Mi Guitarra" is an uptempo and hook guided track which was the first release off the album. I absolutely love the vocal tandem between Aubele and the female vocalist for the chorus.

Also, included in the album are wonderful vocal collaborations.

For the track "Otra Vez", Aubele teams up with Sabina Sciubba, lead vocalist of the NYC band, Brazilian Girls and Miho Hattori of the Cibo Matto who lends her breathy background vocals for the track "Riendo Asi".

The track "Este Amore" features Aubele and music artist Natalia Clavier (Aubele's wife) which is a song he has dedicated to her and a tribute to the great bolero trios of the past. Aubele's deep Argentine voice in combination with Clavier's romantic vocals are intertwined with passion. An awesome track!

JUDGMENT CALL:

Overall, Federico Aubele's "Amatoria" is a sexy and passionate album. As an avid fan of music around the world (which in many cases, I clearly do not understand the lyrics), similar to how opera can touch one's soul despite not necessarily knowing what is being said most of the time, you hear the passion, you hear the anguish, you feel the emotion.

People looking for music that captivates your ears through charismatic vocals and beautiful music, you can't help but hear the passion that comes from each track of "Amatoria". A delightful album that is worth checking out!

I love this record - it is beautiful. I think it is one of his best albums yet!

Fredrico is the man, although his recent release, Amatoria, lacks the soulful variety of the past 2 albums. I'm a huge ESL fan since 1998. I love the collaborations that usually come out of that camp. However, this self-produced project, "Amatoria," lacks the soul & creative flow I'm used too. Moreover, most of the songs sound the same (maybe that's the classical influence taking over). I'm still a Fredrico fan, but I will keep his other albums in rotation going forward...if you don't have "Panamericana" & "Gran Hotel Buenos Aires," then I suggest you buy them now. Explore other ESL artist at www.eslmusic.com. All the best.

Personally, I don't speak Spanish, but I think this album is amazing for all sorts of events like driving around, dinner music, relaxing at home, baby-making, etc. One of my favorite things about international music is that I DON'T know the words. Federico is one of my favorites, this is a must buy!

If he had just kept his mouth shut and kept on the exquisite female vocals of the last albums, this might actually be some good stuff.

Oh well, maybe he got tired of paying them royalties or something.

I was waiting for this album for months, mainly because I was counting on being surprised by the melodies that often emanate from Federico's guitar playing and superb vocal accompaniment. Instead, I was utterly disappointed at the lack of effort that comes across from this work.

Wow. I am a DJ at a community radio and I listen to a LOT of substandard music and Amatoria is great. The best song, in my opinion, is the first track, Luna Y Sol. But I listen to so much that I am perhaps coming from a more open perspective????