In the course of the top of the pandemic, Mint Discipline returned residence to Mexico Metropolis to file Aprender a Ser in isolation, then spent the final three years refining its sound. The temper is wistful, however by no means dreary. They sketch out hazy scenes, like clouds settling over an enormous panorama with no stormy ending or a slinky noir movie. Whereas their earlier work relied extra on contrasting ethereal vocals with gritty guitar outbursts, Aprender a Ser leans into smooth trip-hop, with vaporous synths and Sebastian Neyra’s heavy basslines. It’s dream pop with no script.
Mint Discipline construct a group of shadowy tracks that mix seamlessly into one another. On “El Suspiro Cambia Todo,” radiating synths and licking reverb set a constant atmospheric tone for the remainder of the album. The group excels at fostering a selected ethereal reverie, and so they don’t verge usually from this chilled-out stupor. However on standout “Moronas,” a drum machine punches up the tempo and locks in a monitor good for a classic intergalactic online game. Mint Discipline pull from a well-liked set of ’90s influences—Portishead, Low, Mazzy Star—however they by no means really feel too referential. The group weaves strands of its inspirations collectively to create their very own avant-pop sound.
Frontwoman Estrella del Sol Sánchez’s hypnotic voice is on the core of the group. There’s a numbness in her drawn-out breaths. She by no means absolutely offers into her deepest feelings, so we’re left with our ear in opposition to the door, making sense of the muffled voices behind it. She was impressed by the Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, whose vocals served extra as a layer inside a tune’s association. And like Fraser, Sánchez is all the time on the verge of floating away. On “Sueño Despierto,” Sánchez’s delicate falsetto melds with a swirl of fluttering saxophones, pulling us additional into her impending dream state. It’s a harmonious instance of how her voice fuses with lush instrumentals–the aural equal of watching dollops of paint combine on a canvas.
Sánchez is a spare songwriter, relying extra on the timbre of her voice to convey the songs’ feelings than lyrical complexity. Her phrases usually repeat, tender and craving, evoking pure ephemeral photographs—the leaves of an orchid wilting or a butterfly’s transient lifespan. For Sánchez, nature is a reminder of her impermanence. There aren’t large revelations to remove from these tracks. Sánchez solely grazes the floor of her internal world with out a lot private specificity. And the album can dwindle as its weightless attraction wears off. However Mint Discipline are extra about conjuring a sense than spelling out a story. Aprender a Ser is a dream world with out a lot rationalization, however just like the physique settling into a relaxing pool, the acclimation is price it.
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