Review Summary: Xenophanes is the first of Omar Rodríguez-López's solo albums that feels like it is complete.
Xenophanes is the 12th solo album released by Mars Volta composer and frontman Omar Rodr*guez-López.
Contributors are as follows:
* Omar Rodr*guez-López - Producer, guitars, vocals
* Juan Alderete de la Peña - Bass
* Thomas Pridgen - Drums
* Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez - Percussion, keyboards
* Mark Aanderud - Additional keyboards
* Ximena Sariñana - Backing vocals
The albums that make up Omar Rodr*guez-López's solo career fall for the most part into two recording periods, the first being the period between the break up of At The Drive-In and the formation of The Mars Volta (Absence, Minor Cuts, etc.), the second being the Amsterdam series (Se Dice, Megaritual, etc.). Xenophanes was recorded in 2008 in Zapopan, Mexico, marking the start of a new chapter in his solo career, a fact that is easily heard in the large shift in sound from the Amsterdam sessions. Xenophanes sounds closer to The Mars Volta than it does to any of his previous solo albums.
After the ambient intro Azoemia ends and Mundo De Ciegos kicks in, the amount of focus is apparent. I can't help but compare it to his older work, and it's like comparing a half-finished collage of magazine cutouts to a finished painting. Songs are structured and focused, gone are the meandering fifteen minute guitar and keys wank-athons. There is a greater emphasis on melody and less of an emphasis on how many notes are played. After listening to the whole thing, it actually feels like one coherent statement, something that can't be said for much of anything else released under Omar's many monikers.
Another first on this album is the fact that Rodr*guez-López handles vocal duties as well (aided by Ximena Sariñana), and he proves to be more than adequate. I can't help but wonder how much of this is really his voice and how much is studio magic, and it's hard to tell due to the myriad of vocal effects employed, but the end product is satisfying. This is also the first studio record featuring Ximena Sariñana and Mark Aanderud. I'm not usually a fan of female vocalists, but Ximena's performance is very good. Employing two vocalists, one male and one female, provides some great vocal harmonies. In the song "Asco Que Conmueve Los Puntos Erógenos", both voices are kind of blended together, and while it sounds strange, the effect is very powerful. The lyrics are sung exclusively in Spanish, so I can't really comment on them. Mark Aanderud's contribution on the piano gives a jazzy/salsa edge to the punk-funk core of the rhythm section and acid drenched guitar leads.
Xenophanes is produced as well as any Volta record, another factor that distinguishes it from the rest of Omar's solo catalog. Every instrument can be heard, even though there is often a lot going on. It's all layered very well, as opposed to sounding like it was just thrown together.
If I had to put Xenophanes in a genre, I'd make a new one called interstellar punk-funk. On my first listen, I constantly thought of outer space. The guitar tones and the vocals provide the soaring-spacey feel even though the actual music is pretty dense. Thomas Pridgen and Juan Alderete work very well as a combo, building a core that is sometimes straight up rock, sometimes downright funky, and always solid.
In the end, I am very satisfied with this record. I expected it to be another average Omar release, and I expected having to wade through a bunch of nonsense to find the gems that may or may not be hiding somewhere in the album. Turns out it's his first real album that has substance, a coherent and concise statement. If you've never heard any of Omar's solo projects before, there's no greater place to start.
Stream and/or purchase here:
http://omardigital.rodriguezlopezproductions.com/album/xenophanes
