Amor de Dias, formed in 2009 by Alasdair MacLean (The Clientele) and Lupe Nunez-Fernandez (Pipas), pairs a mix of English and Spanish lyrics with a dreamy, peaceful sound. The band’s second album, The House at Sea, is soothing and often whisper-like: perfect for listening to on a lazy and contemplative rainy day.
Although each track on the album offers a similar serene feeling, The House at Sea presents a good amount of variety in sound. Instead of simply being a collaboration of restful songs, the album is often infused with Spanish instruments and lyrics. The bilingual nature of _The House at Sea_’s lyrics works well to keep the record from becoming stale and highlights the group’s mixed influences.
A few upbeat tracks also work to help break up what would otherwise be a pretty monotonous repertoire of murmury songs. “Jean’s Waving,” “Day” and “Voice in the Rose” help to add diversity to the album.
Though the variety is welcomed, it is clear that the heart of the album (and the artists) resides in the quiet, more reserved tracks. These songs discreetly beg both to be remembered and to inspire. The beauty of tracks like “Same Old Night,” “Hampshire Lullaby” and “Under the Glass” is eerie in a very nonthreatening way.
Amor de Dias is Spanish for “love of days,” a fitting name for a group whose sound is pensive and gently sweet. The album’s title provides an accurate summary of the catalog of tracks offered, and one could easily describe listening to the record as similar to floating on top of a still and comforting ocean.
Though some may feel that The House at Sea is too passively quiet, it undoubtedly does what it has set out to do.
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