Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela
ATO Records
Two guitars. One album. No vocals. That’s it. No, this isn’t another live album from Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, this is the stunning self-titled debut album from Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you have not heard of this duo, you may be thinking to yourself that this is just another stoner jam band record that meanders for an eternity. You would be horribly wrong, you judgmental bastard. Actually the fans that these two cater to are the ones you would never think of: metalheads.
This nine-song instrumental masterpiece begins with the one-two punch of the finger-picking firestorms “Tamacun” and the lead single “Diablo Rojo.” Gabriela’s 1=3 guitar playing (she strums down with her fingers, then her thumb, then back up with her thumb and then a quick guitar slap all in one fluid motion) is like a 6-string drum kit, while Rodrigo picks the melody out around her rhythm like a snake wrapping around a tree branch. You hear the melody, but it could not survive without Gabriela’s rhythm.
So now you’re probably wondering where the metalhead reference comes into play. Two of the nine songs are remakes: Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica’s “Orion.” Yes, these are just as good as the originals, if not a bit better because they create the same full sound with two acoustic guitars.
But wait! There’s more! This album comes with a DVD that has three live performances, a photo gallery, and the best bonus on any CD/DVD combo ever. Rodrigo and Gabriela have a tutorial one how to play the guitar just like they do. They make it look so easy, but it’s not at all. I tried it and I’m still trying to get through the first five minutes.
Rodrigo y Gabriela is by far one of the best debut albums to come out this millennium. They have talent oozing from their fingertips (hopefully not literally, that’s just gross). Although their genre of choice is metal and they cater to fans of metal, this is an album that anybody can listen to and love.
Rodrigo y Gabriela: http://www.rodgab.com
