Proyecto Escapulario is the new project of Costa Rican musician Ariel Maniki, this is a rare excursion into Spanish language music in his career. For this project he has gathered together a large band of Costa Rica's finest alternative musicians including Noe Urtecho, Daniel Kohkemper, Jorge 'Zazz' Duran, Alex Segura, Brenda Jimenez, Fernando Matamoras, Erick Nassar, Janice Miranda, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Natasha Sheik, Julian Casol and Miguel Miranda.
The Album opens with Lo Eterno the strings and acoustic guitar are soon joined by searing guitar, with deep vocals taking us on what sounds to me like the soundtrack to cruising down the Pan American highway, where it transects Costa Rica, heading south from San Jose towards the coffee plantations. I am sure the lyrics don't reflect that.
De Amor has chiming acoustic guitars and a soaring feel not unlike Ricardo Andrade's Y Los Ultimos Adictos on a sweet love song.
Si No Hay Misterios weaves a spell between the strings and slow percussive elements, while they gaze at the moon, hoping to solve some of life's mysteries.
Heridas has the feel of classic Spanish language alternative ballads of the kind Radio Viejo used to put out in Guatemala, this feels slightly down at heart.
Mary Posa Muerta uses the string section for punctuation between the episodes contained in the lyrics on this dark hued widescreen epic.
Constelacion is a slow acoustic led ballad similar to the slower songs by Alado Sincera this will be perfect for those lighters or Mobile Phone torches in the air moments at gigs.
Nai has the feel of painful confessions punctuated by carefully placed guitar, can he ever get over what happened, this soars before the odd string part seems to juxtapose what the electric guitars are doing.
Detras De La Piel uses bongos and hand drums to good effect with a deep sax solo helping set up the atmospherics for what sounds like a dark tale. Achara mixes the hand drums and acoustic guitars being plucked and a lazy hazy electric guitar solo to weave a relaxed atmosphere like you are waiting for the sun to go down behind Arenal.
No Somos Nada has a slow snare beat that the semi classical guitar decorates, with slowly enunciated vocals feeling rather sad, even before the sorrowful violin comes in.
La Luz has the feel of classic Spanish language pop ballads, in the right markets this has huge potential, with the almost operatic backing vocals adding a bit more drama to it.
The album closes with Humedal a slow reflective song, that feels rather sad, like the end of an affair, the pain coming through the vocals. The brass section work with the strings to pull on the emotions.
Find out more at https://proyectoescapulario.bandcamp.com/album/algo-en-la-sangre https://www.instagram.com/proyecto_escapulario/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555745559700
