Paisajes surprised me — especially after hearing a recent tape they released that was much, much different; then again, I was skiing when I listened to it (four times at that), so there’s that — because while a glut of this era’s instrumental tweak-jobs take delight in adding layer upon layer until the entire apparatus crumbles and bodies are CRUSHED, Tristeza are more focused than ever. There’s plenty of space for the main attraction, which has always been guitar arpeggios, to spiral through the sky and coast through the clouds, and I’ve found many of the progressions flitting through my mind of late, so much so that, as I write this review, I’m not even listening to it; don’t need to, as I’ve memorized most of the riffs without even knowing it. (Okay, okay. I’ll get up and throw it on now if it’ll make you feel better.)
This all said, it takes a few turns. The first few listens are lukewarm, the next few better, and so on. Tristeza are better observed from a non-singles perspective; it’s not what’s happening at this very moment, but where this collection of moments will ultimately take you. As such, opener “Raise Your Gaze,” among the weaker offerings, is mainly necessary to set up the intense clean-pluck sprawl of “Missoula,” the latter being an obvious pulse-point on a record with several heart-chilling stretches (again: no flatlines, folks; if you want hot-cold flash flooding, consult a Mogwai album) with its insistent rhythmic charge.
There’s an instance within “Missoula” wherein Tristeza tease at goin’ for the big-top, effects flaring up like an ivy rash and swirls cycling in and out like dolphins swimming around in a whale’s wake. Same with the spectacularly dramatic “Dark Peers,” which waves around lovely trumpets like a silk hanky and pounds out a drum fill or three, and “Sand and Coral,” which, holy GOD, seems to climax — or at least there’s a spurt or two. But it is only a mirage — sooner than later, the template snaps smoothly back into place and we’re on the road again, listening to the smooth purr of the engine and feeling the wheels softly splay onto the road.
I’d rank Paisajes a notch below my favorites (A Colores, Spine and Sensory), but it’s a damn-good egg, replete with several surefire song staples. It’s good to have Tristeza back in the game. (And don’t forget to check out the aforementioned tape, “City Gaze”; it’s fuggin’ great.)
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