The last time I saw José González play was about 3 years ago at Webster Hall in NYC. It was a solo show promoting his second solo LP “In Our Nature” and I was actually lucky enough to interview him before his performance. It was a wonderful pleasure to find out that the Swedish-based, Argentinean singer/songwriter had an off-stage personality that matched his transcendental, mesmerizing, Latin-inflected, folksy rock tunes. At the end of that Webster show, he recounted a short story which threw all the attendants on a cerebral bender. He told a tale of how a religious man once flung a bible straight at his heart, and how he would have surely been killed if it wasn’t for a few bullets he was keeping in his shirt pocket. The misdirection and symbolism in the story only become clear after pondering his words for a few minutes. And therein dwells the genius of González’s music – as a listener you are absolutely transported to different dimensions and mind zones without quite understanding how he did it.
With his new band Junip, José is backed up by a keyboardist, a regular drummer and a Conga drum player, as well as a second lead guitarist – and this new set-up propels his sonic wall to new heights. I caught Junip performing last Thursday (06/10) at the Bowery Ballroom, and yes, the magic was very much in-tact. The set which ran a little over an hour featured all new tracks including instant winners like “Without You, ” “Chickens,” and “At the Doors.” The songs seemed to start stealthily and work themselves to entrancing crescendos similar to how Radiohead arrangements evolve when Thom Yorke and crew are at their very best. José still handles the lead vocals of course, but somehow the backing musicians seem to have freed him up even more to be more expressive and vibrant on stage (which for a low-key personality like González is a rare development indeed). A look around the fans gathered showed just how diverse and loyal his following is. The old, the young, hipsters, stoners, prepsters, black, white, Asian, Latin etc – they were all present. On a scale of 1 to 10, you would have to give the show an outstanding 9.5 rating.
For those new to José’s sound, check out his first two solo albums (Veneer and In Our Nature) and then head over to the Junip website to download their free EP. That should hold you down until their official debut LP drops in the Fall. You won’t be disappointed.
Words by Geo Hagan with photos and video by Fijai Cairo
