Jose Gonzales
In Our Nature
Mute
Jose Gonzales’ In Our Nature conjures caffeine-fueled late nights, skipping out on schoolwork in a dimly lit coffee shop. He’s the shadow in the corner, playing an acoustic guitar to himself as much as for the room. With a soft strum, and a tendency to lightly beat on his instrument as if it were a drum, his approach to playing is quietly inviting – so much so that even the old guys playing chess in the back unwittingly find themselves nodding along.
Argentinian-born, but living in Sweden, Gonzales is not a singer songwriter who’s going to make you yawn and fall asleep. His sweetly crisp voice will capture your senses, and the Iron & Wine-like melodies will wash over you within seconds. His lyrics have political undertones – which may draw Dylan comparisons though he sounds nothing like the Man in terms of voice or song. “How Low,” “In Our Nature” and “Time To Send Someone Away” all hint at the ever applicable topic of war.
The easy comparisons would be Elliot Smith, or Nick Drake, but Gonzales sounds more like UK singer/songwriter Alexi Murdoch or Simon & Garfunkel to my ears.
Mute Records: http://www.mute.com
