Parque de Cometas

Intenciones • Demos y Maquetas 2017​-​2019

Despite being demos and sketches, what Parque de Cometas share in this release sounds more captivating than what they have already recorded in a studio. The group has a natural talent that transcends beyond whatever embellishments an expensive production could ever offer them.

Parque de Cometas has been warmly embraced by the press and the general public because of their friendly and inoffensive songs, which are easy to digest and are loaded with such an adorable and quirky aesthetic, that they might as well be coming from a band in a Wes Anderson or Greta Gerwig movie. However, if the listener dares to read between the lines, the first thing that becomes apparent is how quickly this charm wears out. The detachment with which the band express themselves, along with their abusive use of the motorik beat, causes the pieces to become painfully monotonous. Hmm, what do we have here? Yet another band that -superficially- takes from krautrock (only the repetitive rhythms, though) while vehemently ignoring everything else that made the genre? Just what we needed! (please read with Margot Tenenbaum’s deadpan enthusiasm).

This only manages to emphasize the fact that, despite all of its greatness and relevance for music’s development, this genre, rather than just an influence, has become more of an excuse to justify monotony. The worst offense is that, from all the options available on its essential roster, the main goal seems to be who ends up sounding like NEU! the most. Perhaps it is because the innovative duo’s style is the easiest to imitate, or maybe it’s just that they have the coolest logo, and it looks sweet printed on a t-shirt. Plus, it’s fun to say “NOI”.

That is why listening to Intenciones was such a pleasant surprise: despite being demos and sketches, what Parque de Cometas shares here sounds more captivating than what they have previously released. This album offers a stylistic variety not found on their singles, and does not rely on its excessive "Hallogallo" worship; the only instance where this is present is in "Réplica", but at least the title indicates that the band was aware of it.

Although Intenciones is an indicator that the band is pretty close to find their own voice, it does not mean that Parque de Cometas, at their rawest, have a unique sound; in fact, the group resorts to the same über-sweet tactics that have been plaguing the national scene, and they use the same structure: a pop visage to gain acceptance, and a layer of unusual and obscure influences to denote artistic integrity underneath. If one were to create a festival with bands such as Policías y Ladrones, Señor Kino, Vaya Futuro, Yo Maté a tu Perro and Parque themselves, the attendees might have a hard time distinguishing one from the other.

If we really focus on finding something that PdC could offer outside of everything it shares with its contemporaries, it is that, below the trendy surface of their sound, there are glimpses of a group that could explore the nuances that emanated from post-rock on its early stages; "Disléxicos" and "Contratiempo Cotidiano" are beautiful examples of this and, at the same time, serve as the album’s highlights.

Outside of -obviously- benefitting from having a more polished production, these songs already feel complete and are in no need of any more twists and turns. If you compare this material with what the band has already recorded in studio, it’s easy to see that the key elements are still present and their charm -though ephemeral- remains intact (except at a point where the voices do not harmonize very well during "Diagnóstico" and a few slip-ups in "Hace Sueño"). The group has a natural talent that transcends beyond whatever embellishments an expensive production could ever offer them.

The ability they have to write and create catchy hooks is indisputable, even if they can be too sickly sweet. The bass is the most expressive element, and this shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that since his time in Mint Field, Andrés bass lines provided much needed life to those languid pieces, complementing their simplicity with his dynamic range.

While releasing this type of work before even having at least a proper album under their belts might be a little self-indulgent (as if the band is already in that status in which completists are dying to have everything that bears the name Parque de Cometas) the act is most welcome because it does show a different side from the band. It provides a more enriching and exciting listen than their studio work because it feels more loose and not limited by its own pressure to sound a certain way.

In the current state of music nationwide, Parque de Cometas shows a promising future, and they might even become a powerhouse name for future generations; after all, from a totally aesthetic perspective, the group has everything to succeed. When that happens, this demo cassette may become a coveted collectors item, valued in the thousands; but until then, the pay-what-you-want option is good enough.