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Llana and Fictiones x Dan Rico Reviewed

Llana and Fictiones x Dan Rico Reviewed

Llana – Take My Hand

Similar artists: Delta Sleep

Genre: Math Rock

Like a porn star with tremendous acting skills, progressive rock has all of the ability and none of the reputation that is required to make it good in today’s music world. You could blame this youthful squandering. After all, believe it or not, there was a time when bands like Yes or Pink Floyd could fill up arenas with paying customers all waiting for half-hour synthesizer solos. 

The writing’s on the wall. Paying audiences won’t get fooled again, they say. And, so, cleverly, prog-rock walks through the door like Tootsie or Madame Doubtfire, dressed in drag and casting no doubts as to its true identity. It presents itself as “math rock” or drops the word “experimental” whenever someone presses for a clearer answer. Ah, it’s just good to have you back. 

Llana’s “Take My Hand” is a sophisticated piece of music that arrives just at a time when this kind of composition and playing style are, once again, fashionable. The guitars twist and turn like someone doing gymnastics on a bed of nails. The singing offers the comfort of a jazz singer entertaining wealthy guests down by the yacht dock. It’s prog, but by any other name it sounds sweet. 


Fictiones x Dan Rico – Someday We Might

Similar artists: Arctic Monkeys, Toro y Moi, Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66

Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock

Everything gets worn down eventually. Young musicians would save up all of their money in a piggy bank and try to exchange it for a plane or bus ticket to New York, London, or Berlin. They still do, I guess. But do New York really want to soak up the songs of Lou Reed and Television? They’re not gonna be The Strokes, anyway? Do London bands want to hear about Bowie or Britpop? And don’t dare tell young musicians in Berlin that they should think of bringing techno or Kosmik Musik into their sound.  

They’re all bored of that. Naturally, artists are restless, and they dream of faraway places where the weather is nice, and so are the people and musicians who can play their instruments naturally without ever having taken a lesson. Of course, they dream of Jamaica, the South of Spain or Brazil. In fact, some of the greatest pop music was written right on those beaches in South America, where they speak Portuguese and play tropical jazz like it’s the most natural thing in the work. 

Fictiones x Dan Rico manage to blend their cool NYC guitar pop vibe with their love of Brazilian tropicalia on “Someday We Might.” Sure, this is the kind of music made by someone with an extensive record collection or, at the very least, a great willingness to analyze lengthy playlists. It hints at bossanove, but doesn’t quite take it on. It hints at 2000s indie-rock but doesn’t quite want to sport a leather jacket in that kind of heat. It’s a good mix. 

Llana - Take My Hand

8.0

Fictiones x Dan Rico - Someday We Might

7.5

Pros

Cons

About author

Eduard Banulescu is a writer, blogger, and musician. As a content writer, Eduard has contributed to numerous websites and publications, including FootballCoin, Play2Earn, BeIN Crypto, Business2Community, NapoliSerieA, Extra Time Talk, Nitrogen Sports, Bavarian FootballWorks, etc. He has written a book about Nirvana, hosts a music podcasts, and writes weekly content about some of the best, new and old, alternative musicians. Eduard also runs and acts as editor-in-chief of the alternative rock music website www.alt77.com. Mr. Banulescu is also a musician, having played and recorded in various bands and as a solo artist.
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