Orquesta del Desierto--s/t
MeteorCity 2002
With most "supergroups," it's a hit or miss proposition. As such, there's always a degree of initial trepidation in taking a sampling of their offerings. What if these musicians who you've respected in the past couldn't find the magic when teaming up in their new formation? Thankfully, any such fears are unfounded in the case of Orquesta del Desierto's self-titled debut. Featuring members of Goatsnake, Kyuss, and Fatso Jetson, this is one "supergroup" who delievers on the hype.
Anyone expecting a doom and groove bonanza will be caught off guard by Orquesta del Desierto. On the contrary, this band plays a nice, mellow, soothing brand of music that is not unlike Blind Melon. Perhaps a better, more in depth description of their sound would be to say it's like a mixture of acoustic Alice In Chains, side two of Ritual de lo Habitual by Jane's Addiction, and a few volumes of the Desert Sessions. It all makes for an eclectic, well-textured, different kind of listen.
A lot of this boils down to the way the songs are put together. The lead-off track, "Shadow Stealing," switches gears several times over its course, being driven by something which sounds like a sitar on the verse sections and then by big horn arrangements during the solo. "Make Fun" has a very party-like atmosphere which is tweaked a bit by a slightly angular guitar part that drops in over the basic rhythm parts. Then, there are tracks like "After Blue" which can only be described as beautiful and dreamy--a very light song which feels like a long relaxing exhale. No matter how the vibe shifts from song to song, this is all quite good and compelling material.
For all of its quirkiness, there is something about Orquesta del Desierto which seems viable for mainstream success. Considering all the dreck in the mainstream, that fate could be a blessing. A very welcome surprise and, unless something happens before it ends, the chill out album of the year.
Score this CD directly from METEORCITY
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