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Gabriel Garzoń-Montano, Jardin
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| Bill Withers, 'Justments |
In a world where false equivalencies abound, it can be a risky game to compare things that are truly not the same. But something about Garzoń-Montano's brand new disc, Jardin, brings to mind Wither's long ago 'Justments, and that thing is the wonderful warmth of their two voices.
Start with Jardin a release that's easy to call "electro-soul," even if that undersells Garzoń-Montano's song craft. He's in the Drake orbit and has a voice that makes you lean in to hear what he's saying. A Pitchfork reviewer heard 60's sounds of the The Bee Gees and The Association in his easy pop. I do, too. I could imagine being thirteen to the sound of "Fruitflies," (just not again):
Now return to Withers, under appreciated though still very much alive at 78. He released 'Justments in 1973, while your brain was recovering from the ubiquity of "Lean on Me" and "Ain"t No Sunshine" (proving you can get too much a good thing). 'Justments was different, not just for its lack of a mega hit but for the easy way Wither's relaxed warmth grabbed your attention, just like Garzoń-Montano's does. Here's Withers' "Can We Pretend," but I could convince you with any track on this disc:
Both of these disks offer special comfort here in deep winter. Go ahead and experience them the old school way: listen to the whole damn thing.
And speaking of old school, here's the 60's sound of The Association that Garzoń-Montano puts me so oddly in mind of:
