Taking a minimalist approach to electrofunk and R&B, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, Gabriel Garzón-Montano debut EP Bishouné: Alma del Huila is anything but predictable. The languid to hot ‘n’ greasy urban alternative project from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music graduate blurs musical boundaries with Garzón-Montano taking on the roles of performer, composer, producer and arranger for all six tracks (with the notable exception of Bobby Elliott’s translated lyrics on “Pour Maman”). The New York native transitions seamlessly from spacious, low-fi material to voluptuous grooves on his slightly experimental one-man band project, a tribute to “the role of family, love, and the City’s unavoidable lifestyle.” While the avant-garde nature of the project isn’t going to quite be everyone’s cup, most will be hard pressed to deny the D’Angleo influenced infectiousness of its lead single, “Everything Is Everything.” Check out the official video and see if Garzón-Montano doesn’t have you convinced.
By L. Michael Gipson