First released on Spanish label
Acualrela and re-issued on
Darla,
Mus' debut is a treasure that fuses elements of
trip-hop,
ambient pop and film noir (with the
soundtracks of
John Barry acting as a big influence). The deep strings and light percussion are melded together wonderfully, while
Monica Vacas' vocals sink in effortlessly. Opener
"Los Dies, Les Coses" immediately demonstrates the breathy, gorgeous vocals of
Vacas, as her Spanish lyrics glide amongst a stream of such things as flute and high-end piano. A saxophone and brisk yet gentle beat give moments such as
"La Paura" a
worldbeat dimension, while
"Cande" is a
soundtrack -inspired piece that would fit into a '60s spy film. A more conventional "song" comes with the eight-minute
"La d'amor," where
Nacho Vegas (a well known artist in Spain) sings elegantly with
Vacas. Though later on
Mus would shift their instrumentation,
Fai was good enough to have
Grant "Daddy G" Marshall of
Massive Attack proclaim his love for these recordings. ~ Kenyon Hopkin
