Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
June 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Cande y Paulo: Cande y Paulo

Cande y Paulo

Cande y Paulo

Decca

Cande y Paulo are Cande Buasso on vocals and upright bass with Paulo Carrizo on keyboards. They are from San Juan, Argentina and their debut long-player is also simply called Cande y Paulo.

There is some percussion on the record and a few guitars (most notably on a sizzling rendition of Summertime) but for the most part the essence of the sound is all there with Buasso’s gentle, thoughtful bass playing and Carrizo stating the melody or providing the accompaniment to musically caress Buasso’s voice.

And what a voice.

It’s…it’s just a thing of beauty. So soothing and calm and pure – no tricks, just beautiful phrasing, so perfectly placed and spaced.

Singing in English and Spanish, performing covers and originals, Cande y Paulo is best described as simply a must-hear duo. They are Tuck & Patti without the theatrics and histrionics. They are a throwback to the Getz/Gilberto combo but there’s something deeper here; a connection to song-serving that is just so hypnotic.

I really believe that song selection and sequencing is the key here. And opener, Treaty, a late-career piece by Leonard Cohen (from 2016’s You Want It Darker) is such a perfect song to hear first. For a start, it’s lesser-known, in the scheme of Cohen compositions, but it’s also so faithful to his version, and his songs were written in just such a way, that it is a nice surprise. Tribute, of course, but not just trotting out the obvious stuff.

The aforementioned Summertime blazes in next and is just a ripper; the sort of standard you might think you’ve heard to death. But here new life.

Perhaps more interesting is when the well known cover is sung in another language. Deja Atras – which you’ll know better as Walk On By – is the first such example. Again, Cande’s voice. It just melts into the song. Very soft percussion and guitar stabs sit in under the bass and piano.

But sometimes the surprise is just that the song was covered at all – and how wonderful it turns out. Neil Young’s Sugar Mountain feels like it has lived forever in the late 1960s, a bit twee and very folk and that is that. It’s fine when you hear Neil revisit it or when you listen to the original but you never really want to know about it being covered. Yet this version here is exquisite. The voice finding new pockets within the tune.

I don’t want to say much more about this album. It’s just something so soft and lovely and warm and beautiful. It’s just something you have to hear. Such pure musicianship, such talent. Excellent songs and really just wonderful.

Want more? Check out my Substack

You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with Album Review, Cande Buasso, Cande y Paulo, Cande y Paulo: Cande y Paulo, Debut, Decca, Paulo Carrizo, S/T, Self-Titled, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron. RSS 2.0 feed.
« Poem: My Favourite Kill of All Is Mrs. Vorhees’ Head Being Chopped Off In Slow-Motion
Joan Armatrading: Consequences »

Popular

  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • Sweetman Podcast: Episode 73 – Janna Lapidus Leblanc
  • Take Two Woodstock 99 Documentaries And Make One Dark Reminder of Misogyny (And Shit Music)
  • Nope: Film
  • How We Listen To – and Collect – Music Has Always Been Changing
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer
  • R.I.P. Ronny Jordan

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Blog Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ Drums DVD EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Poetry Record Records Short Story Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2022 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press