When you Google translate “el guincho,” all that comes back is “el guincho.” Is the artist himself indefinable? Or just really Spanish? I’d say he’s a lot of the latter, but definitely not indefinable — turns out a guincho is a tropical bird. Pablo Díaz-Rexia, better known as El Guincho, delivers more of his self-described “space-age exotica” with his second release. Like a hopped-up version of Panda Bear, with added bass kicks and exuberant vocals, Alegranza! is a sample-heavy, afro-beat, tropicália dance-fest. It fits nicely into our recent love-affair with ethnically-driven pop (ahem, Vampire Weekend).
El Guincho kicks off the album with “Palamitos Park,” a sun-soaked romp that covers all of El Guincho’s tropes — tribal drums, chanting, samples of people talking and cheering, things being banged upon and some catchy Spanish singing. One of my roommates walked in while I was listening and exclaimed how “it makes your feet feel like they’re south of the border.” Awesome.
Alegranza! falls into the category of “hipster party record.” It basically means that people will put this on alone at home and think, “Wow, this would be cool to hear at a party.” But the chances of this record being played at a real party are slim since the lyrics are all in Spanish. Plus, El Guincho is still pretty unknown.
Even though each song utilizes similar tactics in its construction, Díaz-Reixa — whom I think only ever wearsred pants — finds a way to give each track its own feel. One of the album’s best, “Cuando Maravilla Fui,” steps out of the usual tropical motif and instead gives off a Middle Eastern vibe. He samples a sitar, which makes you feel like you’re walking through a stuffy marketplace on a sweltering day.
At times the record can be a bit overstuffed — there always seems to be so much going on. Coupled with all the repetition of typical dance music, Alegranza! can become overwhelming. While this record gets countless, but deserved, comparisons to Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, I wouldn’t go so far to say they’re equals. Alegranza! is much less subtle and ultimately lacks the replay value. Overall though, it’s quite good and may even deserve a few spins at your next small, hipster party.