Andres And Sean – Pack & Go

Andres And Sean – Pack & Go – Album Review

This could very potentially be something here. With a completely excellent subtle-melody-driven sound, the music of Andres And Sean really create a rich texture and atmosphere. The result is a dense musical landscape, full of great ideas and executed artistically throughout the album Pack & Go.

The vibrant & dreamlike melodies they’ve created in the opening track “Signals” should get you excited. Throughout the album, there are a few patchy notes from the vocal department, easily forgivable and short when they occur. But it’s not about what’s going wrong occasionally, this is all about what is going right CONSTANTLY for Andres And Sean; the main hook and chorus in “Signals” has a truly addictive, hazy quality to it. Fantastic start to Pack & Go.

The following and title-track is a quandary. On the one hand, it’s incredibly well-played and inventive. On the other hand…they’ve gone from what sounded like a potential for a new Radiohead into a show-tune or something from the Brian Setzer Orchestra here…maybe toss a little of the ol’ Jason Mraz in there to round out the sound. I truly love the playing, the horns are fantastic and the energy and commitment are there in a convincing performance…perhaps just a little too on the theatrical-side of music for yours truly here.

How can you not love “Overcast” though? It’s another fantastic idea for sure, with excellent guitars and another fantastically clear sound & great idea from the lyrics and vocals. Here you get a real Sparklehorse kind of vibe on this track…this is an excellent pop-float through the clouds; warm and inviting…it’s the kind of sweet sound even the hardest of thugs wouldn’t turn off.

The cultural influence on Andres And Sean come shining through the music of “Valencia.” A smooth, jazzy song…bit of confusion in tone for the bridge but the rest is pretty solid. Great piano comes drifting in, strings…nice slow samba-beat in the back and the atmosphere is completely solid. It’s a romantic setting and substance in song and translates well to a listener’s ears.

I think…at least after listening to the opening and changes you find on “Sail,” that it’s only fair to say: “Raise your hands if your confused,” because at this point, I literally can’t pin this band down as to what they might be doing on the NEXT track, or the track after that… There’s a freedom shared between Andres And Sean; a wonderful one that allows them to experiment, test out and try any idea that comes up between them. The wandering lead guitar against the slow-waltz of the drums…again, the horns…the piano…call it part madman, call it part genius…I’m not sure what it sounds like to you but my ears are completely glued to the crazy rhythms and ideas being put together beautifully in the melodies of Andres And Sean.

“Dark Places” has a great funk & big-band sound to it, which really pumps up the energy before they head back into a truly sweet track in “Serenity.” I prefer them when they’re at their melodic-best like they are here on “Serenity;” it seems to me that in my experience listening to Andres And Sean, the most slow & simplified they’ve made the song, the more they’ve come out with a winning sound. The up-tempo tunes almost possess a little too much flair, a little too much flash and contrast highly with the sincerity you’ll find within the slow songs. “Footsteps” is a great example of those two aspects of their writing coming together in a more successful blend and style. Incredibly complex in many ways, you can listening to each and every sound so clearly on this album and I really am loving the way this whole thing sounds in the production all the way through. “Footsteps” is a completely interesting slow-pulse post-grunge exploration and highlights some of the really great ideas they put into their song-writing.

It’s a vibe they carry slightly into “Apologize” before the track finds itself a bit confused, then settles in for good around the minute and a half mark. Excellent guitar solo and sound and drift back in the main verse…great transitions back into it but the first one they took us out with in “Apologize” might come out a little audibly intangible to some…

“Stars” and “Tumbao” bring up the party atmosphere on the album a couple degrees and lighten the mood in the home stretch towards the end of Pack & Go. I mean…if absolutely nothing else, you can certainly take away the feeling that these two dudes must be some supremely nice guys. Returning to sweet sounds in the final song “Return,” the accent in the vocals comes through once again in that charming way that it has throughout the album. With the gentle acoustic backing guitar and creative melodies – Andres And Sean make a subtle but lasting impact through innovative music that clearly contains a lot of passion and a whole lot of heart.

You can find the new video for their single “Overcast” and a whole bunch more about Andres And Sean at their official Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/andresandsean

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