 Sancho
"Cha Cha Mancha" CD
Superglider
Genres: electronic pop, indie pop, dream pop
Dec 6 - 12 2004 |
Sancho brings us a strong collection of electronics-heavy pop
songs, most with vocals, though occasionally instrumental.
Principal songwriter Paul Hanford fares best when working with
singing, although the wordless parts of Cha Cha Mancha are also
surprisingly listenable. Luxurious, elaborate pop music is the name of the game on this Sancho
disc, and it goes a long way in making this an unconventionally
listenable experience. Many of the songs have a creatively
sparse, eclectic sound, but a general tunefulness and an eye for
melody keep them from becoming boring. Even "Boscombe,"
an instrumental electronic piece, is made catchy by some tremendously
satisfying atmospheric effects and a deep, buried melody. But
the real fun lies in the songs with singing - "Ball
O'String" is mystical and layered, with a strong vocal part,
while "Coach on Fire" is dreamily beautiful.
Cha Cha Mancha is a very inventive pop album that manages to
take liberties without regressing into inaccessibility. Sancho
have really created something beautiful here, proving that artful
sound and strong melody really can go together.
86%
Fun Fact: Sancho's last
release, under the guise of Sancho Panza, was a limited edition
seven-inch record, each copy boasting a uniquely painted cover.
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
10 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
