Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - De Facto

The Guardian 60

(Sonic Cathedral)

A winning mix of shoegaze textures and darker psych stylings has earned Lorena Quintanilla (Lorelle) and Alberto González (the Obsolete) acclaim far beyond their native Mexico, with Robert Smith and Henry Rollins among their fans. Their third album to get an international release, and fifth in total, is less immediate than 2014’s Chambers and 2016’s Balance, not least because whereas previous sets featured some English lyrics, here Quintanilla sings solely in Spanish, partly as a result of US-Mexico border tensions. Jarring opener Ana in particular comes across like one of the more abrasive moments on Low’s Double Negative.

Their gift for melody is more apparent on the gorgeous Líneas En Hojas, Quintanilla’s breathy vocals riding atop José Orozco’s irresistible synth drone. While most of these songs weigh in at around the three-minute mark, the two highlights come when they stretch out and lock into lengthier grooves. Unificado is a swirling and hypnotic guitar-noise throb worthy of Spacemen 3 or Loop; the closing La Maga more gentle, less apocalyptic, but all the more poignant for it.