Customer Reviews

A Colores

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

 

 

Tristeza takes full advantage of the instrumental format to bring you songs such as Liquid Pyramid, which deliver a full sound that can pull the stress and angst right out of you. I am a graduate student that needs uninterrupted reading time, and my trusty mp3 player helps with that. The absence of vocals coupled with a smooth sound make this album ideal for this application. The other strong point of this album is that it is one that you could put in your player, hit play, and listen to it in its entirety.

I had been waiting for this cd to come out ever since I heard two tracks that were put up weeks before the release date. I've been a fan of Tristeza for a while but it wasn't until I picked up this album that I appreciated them the way I do now. The release date of this cd was right around the same time they played in my home town. I watched their live show before getting the cd and most of the songs in the set were from the new album. I was captivated the whole time in a way I've never been at a show before. These new songs possess a certain energy and feeling Tristeza has never showed us before, whether this is due to the addition of two new members since their last release is hard to tell. They've kept the same drummer but his playing has never sounded so good, it seems as if everything he's recorded on this cd is perfect. The addition of a new keyboardist definitely contributed to the change in sound, and definitely for the better. Now their sound is darker than ever before, but it seems like this transition was necessary. Their older stuff was plagued with reviews of it being too repetitive or boring, as if it wasn't going anywhere. On A Colores, it's the opposite. The music is now so ambitious and full of mystery. It keeps a somewhat consistant feel but none of the songs sound the same. To put it simply, this album is a must have for anyone interested in good music.

Yo La Tengo meets Pat Metheny, or possibly what U2 would sound like if they fired Bono, hired a keyboardist and became a jazz-rock band. I first heard this San Diego group on Pandora, and I'm frankly stunned. It seems as though this band cannot help themselves; every time they touch their instruments they create beauty, almost without conscious thought. This is a remarkably consistent album, and specifying standout tracks is almost beside the point this time. Perfect working music, filled with melodies over arpeggio patterns shared among guitars and keyboards. No acid-band noodling either. Comfortably avoids the boring "Windham Hill effect" and self-indulgent soloitis common to so many instrumental bands. All in all this is one of the best finds of the year for me. Tristeza is ineffable.

Although Tristeza translates to "melancholy" in english, I felt nothing but happiness and fortune being able to see them live at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood just a couple weeks ago, right after the release of "A Colores".

I'm a newbier fan, and Tristeza have instantly become favorites. I really can't describe how their music makes me feel, except just transported. That's how their melodies made me feel live at their show, and just driving or sitting or working and listening to them.

Flawless. Highly, highly recommended if you are more "old school" and like Pat Metheny or a little new school and like "Explosions in the Sky". To wrap this up, these songs sound like their CD looks: a musical work of art.

If you are thinking about getting Tristeza's A Colores then hear is a simple two song test for you.

First listen to, Balabaristas when that is done listen to, Liquid Pyramids all the way through. (The actual songs not the Amazon clips)

If you get through those songs and still have a smile on your face, then A Colores as a whole cd would definatly be worth the investment.
Plus the album artwork is rad


Now MY reasoning behind four stars...
1. A fourth of this cd goes no where and has no direction
2. Some of the songs could have cut and added minutes in either direction and been much more bearable.
3. Tristeza likes to take classical music riffs and turn them into beautiful melodies, this is really hard to get through sometimes.
4. While the cd as a whole is much better than the previous releases, for the musical ability that the band actually has I feel as if most of this cd is just a medicore take of what could have been jaw dropping.

Transfixing and ever-changing is this album's theme. Dark, meloncholly, psychadelic post rock with an amazing keyboard sound. (Gotta love that Rhodes). I saw these guys recently in Orlando and I have to say it's been a long time since I've gone to see a band that is so in tune and in sink with one another. These guys truly love what they do. The new stuff is full of changes, and more importantly, on point. The drummer has definately progressed over time and the music has become more enhanced with almost a dark jazz fusion feel to it. I was and still am impressed with what this band has brought forth. I have been a fan for some time now, but this album indeed shows just how much Tristeza has grown over time. If they ever come to your town, I highly recommend checking them out. It's definately an ear pleasing experience.