Pelazo: Lie To Me – single review

Pelazo: Lie To Me

(FOLC Records)

7″ | DL

Out now

The debut single from new Spanish powerpop band packs a mean punch. Given the pedigree of those involved, it’s only a taste of what’s to come.

As I jump out of the car in an almost deserted neighbourhood on the outskirts of Santander, I spot the familiar faces of the head honchos of FOLC Records and guitarists of Los Chicos. They thrust a brand new single in my hands, “It’s Pibli’s new band.” they exclaim with excitement. I know exactly who they mean. Drummer/singer/songwriter in one of Spain’s best bands, Peralta, European drummer for garage revival legends, The Cynics, member of Doctor Explosión, his involvement in Pelazo is surely a stamp of quality. And it is.

The A-side, Lie To Me, is one of his songs, a driving classic powerpop tune. It opens up with shades of the Blondie classic Dreaming, before diving headlong in a crunching riff and hook-laden harmonies. Even given just how fickle the ‘real’ powerpop aficionados are, there’s no denying that Pelazo are mining the best of the genre. The Knack, The Raspberries, all rolled up in the spirit of The Undertones. It’s an absolute belter of a tune and Pibli Gonzalez’s lead vocal is unmistakable, equally sweet and rough.

On the flip side, This Time Tomorrow continues to hit that powerpop sweet spot, wrapped up in the Xixón sound of the 90s, the sound that characterised many of the groups that came out of the Asturian region during that time. There’s a real shade of Australian Blonde, one of the bands that defined the movement. One guitar jangles beneath the other’s crunch, light and shade in perfect balance.

The single is a fantastic introduction to the band, and is hopefully just a taste of what is to come from them.

Follow Pelazo on Facebook.

Lie To Me/This Time Tomorrow is available now from FOLC Records.

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Words by Nathan Whittle. Find his Louder Than War archive here.

Source: louderthanwar.com