Charlie Pinhey
Music journalist & online sub-editor for CLUNK Magazine based in Bristol. Fumbling around on social media trying to tell people about my interviews and reviews. Follow me @charvawritesstuff
Los Bitchos tease more from their upcoming album ‘Los Bitchos & Friends Vol. 1’ with new track, ‘Holding Cell’.
‘Holding Cell’ is the second track to be released by Los Bitchos in the lead up to their new album and follow ‘Hang Up (Pt 2)’ which featured Sinkane and Adrian Quesada. ‘Holding Cell’ continues to showcase the ‘friends’ element of the upcoming album, featuring Ambrose Kenny-Smith (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard).
Kenny-Smith’s presence is felt heavily in this track after a prowling and slightly foreboding intro. Angular-sounding guitars dig and grind whilst toms roll and crack, giving ‘Holding Cell’ a surprising element of jeopardy. Nic Crawshaw’s drumming style is almost prog rock at this stage in the song too. Whilst jeopardy and prog rock may not be senses or styles commonly associated with Los Bitchos’s music, they are both exciting shifts in tone that pushes the band collectively and shows how dynamic they are.
There’s an interesting duality that comes with ‘Holding Cell’ as a result of the introduction of vocals. ‘Heaven and hell. I’ve got the world on my shoulders. It’s bringing me down.’ Then guitarist Serra Petale injects some stretchy notes, ripe for hip-swaying and for the honey pies to get their hands up. But, all against the back drop of a claustrophobic setting.
Speaking about the creative process, including the addition of Ambrose Kenny-Smith’s vocals, Petale has said, “When you meld all of these things together, you get the most amazing creative and artistic results,” enthuses Petale. “It’s so cool to hear different influences that have really meant something to you in your life – whether you’re in the depths of a Swedish winter, or in a British summer, or you’re in Australia sweating your ass off. Once you share that with people and bring that to life, it’s really amazing. You get something really new and it pushes you as an artist. That’s awesome.”
Kenny-Smith’s vocals are layered and it’s in the subtle higher octaves he gets to play the timid character close to breaking in his holding cell. Meanwhile the driving melody of his voice gives the track that King Gizzard hysteria, driven home by some cosmic licks and a celestial fanfare.
Los Bitchos shall release their latest album ‘Los Bitchos & Friends Vol. 1’ on 13th November.
Listen to ‘Holding Cell’ here:
Catch Los Bitchos at the following:
Sep 10 – Great September Festival – Lodz, Poland
Sep 13 – Fiësta Futura Festival – Rotterdam-Albrandswaard, Netherlands
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