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Oregonian Record Review
Fernando presses on
Friday, July 07, 2006
CURT SCHULZ
During a decade and a half-dozen releases, Portland songwriter Fernando Viciconte has developed a singing voice that has transformed from the Dylanesque rasp of his folk-oriented 1990s work, to the hot Southwestern drawl of his barrio rock CD, "Pacoima," to a breathily Lennon-like instrument he developed for 2001's "Dreams of the Sun and Sky."
On his new album, "Enter to Exit," Fernando's vocals have ripened to a sharp maturity. There's enough warmth and sheer exuberance, even on the downbeat tunes, to make the occasional buzz and creak sound like the small flawed brushstroke on the canvas that makes the picture perfect.
Better still, "Enter to Exit" features ace writing and offers a rich variety of sonic textures and colors. Lap-steel guitars swirl around organ lines, and easy-listening trumpets inspire dreamy reverie ("Another Day in My Head"). Piano and brushes-on-snare carry the torch ballad "Mariana" while leaving plenty of space for the important unplayed notes.
The whole work manages to come across as both huge and intimate.
Fernando's lyrical concerns keep to the same themes he's been chewing on for the past decade, with faith ("The Reluctant Deity"), disillusionment ("The Change in Us") and failure ("My Magnetic Field") making their usual appearances. But redemption's found in his endless existential struggle to push forward: He can't go on; he'll go on.
On "Enter to Exit," Fernando has discovered that the next step to sounding like somebody great is simply sounding like yourself and having that be great enough.
Oregonian Record Review
Fernando presses on
Friday, July 07, 2006
CURT SCHULZ
During a decade and a half-dozen releases, Portland songwriter Fernando Viciconte has developed a singing voice that has transformed from the Dylanesque rasp of his folk-oriented 1990s work, to the hot Southwestern drawl of his barrio rock CD, "Pacoima," to a breathily Lennon-like instrument he developed for 2001's "Dreams of the Sun and Sky."
On his new album, "Enter to Exit," Fernando's vocals have ripened to a sharp maturity. There's enough warmth and sheer exuberance, even on the downbeat tunes, to make the occasional buzz and creak sound like the small flawed brushstroke on the canvas that makes the picture perfect.
Better still, "Enter to Exit" features ace writing and offers a rich variety of sonic textures and colors. Lap-steel guitars swirl around organ lines, and easy-listening trumpets inspire dreamy reverie ("Another Day in My Head"). Piano and brushes-on-snare carry the torch ballad "Mariana" while leaving plenty of space for the important unplayed notes.
The whole work manages to come across as both huge and intimate.
Fernando's lyrical concerns keep to the same themes he's been chewing on for the past decade, with faith ("The Reluctant Deity"), disillusionment ("The Change in Us") and failure ("My Magnetic Field") making their usual appearances. But redemption's found in his endless existential struggle to push forward: He can't go on; he'll go on.
On "Enter to Exit," Fernando has discovered that the next step to sounding like somebody great is simply sounding like yourself and having that be great enough.
posted by fernando at 12:14 AM
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