Volovan: talent in an intimate, unordinary wrapper
By Tatiana Porter
It's a rarity that a debut release gets the kind of credibility that the Mexican band Volovan has received. In their short and fast-paced career, their talent has been showcased on some of Mexico's best movie soundtracks, including Antonio Serrano's La hija del caníbal (dubbed Lucía, Lucía for English speaking audiences); Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también, and Fernando Sariñana's Amarte Duele; and, most recently, in Renee Chabria's Sueño (starring John Leguizamo).
In early 2002, Volovan released their first self-titled album and within months had sold over 90,000 copies and a nomination for "Best Artist North" by the MTV Latin American Awards. The masterminds behind this successful musical enterprise are front man Gonzalo Galván, keyboardist Jorge Nájera, guitarist Alex Gulmar, drummer Gerardo Galván, and genius producers Andy Chase (from indie rock band Ivy and recording engineer for Smashing Pumpkins), Andy Brown (Badly Drawn Boy) and the ever-so-graceful Alejandro Rosso (Plastilina Mosh).
Characterized by lyrics and sound that are rich, warm, intimate and unordinary, the songs in Volovan's first album are striking -- driven by big echoing melodies that recall the works of The Sundays and The Strokes. There are many stand-out tracks, but the album as a whole was planned as a concept album and should be experienced in its entirety. Some of the music is pensive -- such is the case with "Papillon" -- while others are so skillfully mastered that you wonder if in fact Galván sings of unbearable urges or simply an invitation to walk through the park, as in the case with "No quieres venir?"
I had the rare experience of enjoying their recent performance during the WBCA Callejonada in Nuevo Laredo . I was kindly placed on their guest list for a performance at El Espacio. The band chose to introduce some new material from their sophomore album, which is scheduled for release in mid-summer. Their performance allowed me the opportunity to appreciate their range and maturity and their tribute to Spain 's Hombres G.
Galván's luscious voice that doubles as his main calling card is all at once tempting and pleasing, serving as a great contradiction against the more intense sounds of some of their newer, more organic songs filled with heavier guitars and less whimsical melodies.
This Mexican quartet's music has been reputed to cure depressions, crudas, and other maladies. If you want to experience this for yourself, you can sample their music by clicking onto yahoo.com/group/volovan/. Other information can be found directly on their web page at www.volovan.com.
