The Spanish band Moura mixes Psychedelic Rock, Progressive and Folk with an original personal style. The new EP “Fume Santo De Loureiro” was released on May 31, 2024 via Spinda Records and contains 4 tracks including an epic over 8 minutes long. The opener “Intro” is the shortest on the disc, 1:18 minutes of effects and modulations leading us into “Agoiro / Pranto.” An interweaving of guitar arpeggios that show the band’s more Folk side, increasing in intensity as the song progresses. Slowly the other instruments come in, giving life to a track that shows all the sonic facets of the band, ranging from traditional music to Psychedelia and Progressive Rock. A deep, load-bearing bass line and a solid, well-balanced drumming characterise the rhythm section, enriched by tempo changes. Folk melodies intertwine with keyboards that give a retro touch to the sound. Valuable instrumental sections in which solo inserts enhance the band’s technique, alternating with Folk vocal parts that interpret the lyrics with intensity. In the finale, the track concludes with a section of traditional music with Tibetan instruments and a choral Folk vocal. The longest track on the album, “Contra Os Males De Aireada,” is an epic over eight minutes long, opening with a guitar arpeggio. With a change, the band immediately offers a keyboard-driven sound that is markedly Progressive, with fine Psychedelic inserts and the characteristic Folk vocals with enveloping choral parts. We were able to appreciate this track as it was extracted as a single to anticipate the release of the album, but with every listen it reveals elaborate and refined cues and passages. Sung parts and instrumental sections alternate offering solo keyboard cues and excellent guitar work. the track is a continuous crescendo culminating in a meditative-sounding finale with Tibetan percussion instruments. The EP ends with “Canto De Berce” a track that in the first part shows the band’s more Folk side. Continuously evolving, in the middle part it incorporates elements of Psychedelic Rock while maintaining the imprint of traditional music. The keyboards in the second part take the sound into more Progressive territory, and then the vocals return and conclude. An intense EP, with tracks that once again show how the band is adept at developing its own distinctly personal and original sound. The mixture of genres is certainly one of the album’s most valuable points, together with the ability to construct instrumental passages and vocal parts that enhance both the compositional and performing technique of the band. A recommended listen for all lovers of Psychedelic Rock sounds steeped in Folk and with forays into Prog.
Tracklist
01. Intro (01:16)
02. Agoiro / Pranto (05:57)
03. Contra Os Males De Aireada (08:04)
04. Canto De Berce (03:21)
Lineup
Belém Tajes / Vocals, Tambourine and Sachos
Diego Veiga / Vocals, Electric Guitar, Tambourine, Tibetan Bowls, Chromatic Gongs
Fernando Vilaboy / Hammond, Mellotron, Dolceola, Tibetan Bowls, Chromatic Gongs, Synthesisers and Vocals
Hugo Santeiro / Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Traditional Bass Drum, Tin Drum, Tibetan Bowls, Chromatic Gongs and Vocals
Brais do Rei / Drums, Bodhran, Chromatic Gongs, Chromatic Crotales, Tibetan Bowls and Laurels
Pedro Alberto Aguado / Electric Bass
