Album Review: DDLO – Sueños de Luna y Mar
The title of this EP from DDLO translates as “Dreams of Moon and Sea,” and there’s an evocative, windswept feel to the collection’s four tracks. Subtle, gurgling synthesizers give a modern feel to the more traditional Latin flavors of “El Mundo Fosforescente” (“The Phosphorescent World”), and a wonderfully distorted lead guitar figure carries the song to its conclusion. The Cuban textures of “El Día que Llegó el Payaso” (“The Day the Clown Arrived”) are delightfully hypnotic, and the tune’s more acoustic leanings deliver the complex, layered melodies in subtle yet effective fashion.
I don’t know enough Spanish to follow what’s happening in the call-and-response vocals when they shout “¡Payaso! (“clown”), but everyone involved seems to be having fun. You will too. The spooky electric guitar figure that opens “El Pulpo y la Luna” (“The Octopus and the Moon”) suggests an effective combination of Latin musical textures with space-rock a la Pink Floyd. The bass clarinet that shows up mid song is unexpected yet welcome. And the slide guitar that follows is mesmerizing.
“Nostalgia Majestuoso” (“Majestic Nostalgia”) closes the EP with some shimmering classical acoustic guitar and faraway wooden flute. I have only one criticism of Sueños de Luna y Mar: its brevity. This stuff is a delight. More, please.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.