Jose Gonzalez

This Neo-Folk album was actually first released back in 2003. Perhaps surprising to its new set of fans, turned on to it by the high profile commercial (the one with all the bouncy balls) that used Heartbeats as its soundtrack. You could have been forgiven on first hearing that song that you were listening to a new release by Iron and Wine - probably the most successful proponent of the genre - I certainly did, and with much enthusiasm, as I love nothing better on a Sunday afternoon or late at night than a mellow vibe and an acoustic guitar. Well, there's plenty of that here, almost to the point of being repetitive, but not quite to the point of irritation. True, there is not much variation, but why should there be when what he does well is so beautiful? It drifts over you, creates a background - it's not meant to be deep or thought provoking, just simple and romantic and soothing. And for that it works. I would still give preference to the aforementioned act, Iron and Wine, if pressed, purely because there is something infinitely soulful about that sound which perhaps gets swallowed by the more tangible presence of foreground instrumentation in Gonzalez's work. It will stay in my collection for a long time though, I believe, getting a run out from time to time when the mood takes me. The interesting thing really is how so much attention can be generated from one commecial where previously there was very little. If I'm right in thinking, it has been a top ten album here in the UK since Christmas, and that is no mean feat for a non-mainstream act. Still, I'm not complaining - I'd rather see this in there than Will Young or The Pussycat Dolls any day! 7/10 Kx