Hmm, are the folks at Nacional Records sure they didn’t mix up their publicity photos? From what I see here, the members of RH+ look like three slabs of rough-and-tumble, smokin’-hot Chilean beef, complete with elaborate facial hair and tough-guy shades. But the single “Curb” from the Santiago combo’s debut album Quintana Roo has the delicate, dream-pop style of Scandinavians Royksopp, lead by the high, clear vocals of what sounds like an innocent young lady. Did she not show up for the photo shoot, or is one of these hunks actually a castrato? Okay, okay, joking aside, there’s actually a propulsive solidity to this track, and while I’m not sure if there are any strains of traditional Chilean sounds here, “Curb” does remind me of classic Brazilian psychedelia, with its hypnotic combination of silky vocals and buzzy melodies. Listen to it by pressing the “play” button on the thingy below or grab an mp3 over at the RCRD LBL site.
[Update: Okay, their label Nacional assures me that in fact, RH+ is a five piece with a female singer and one other guy, and that RCRD LBL just cut them out of the publicity shot for some reason. Well, it made for a funny post, at least…]
