Hermanos Gutiérrez are a brother duo, who have a family lineage split between Ecuador and Switzerland. As can be seen in their artwork and overall aesthetic of the music, they definitely lean into the Latin and South American aspects of their roots, however their partly-European heritage could very well be giving them the self awareness necessary to build such an aesthetic. The album art looks like a movie poster - the album title certainly checks out (A reference to the Sergio Leone classic) - and the music follows along these lines.
We are dealing here with instrumental, atmospheric music that is laid back but nevertheless expressive and evocative. I find some of the songs hypnotic, such as Pueblo Man, which swirls rhythmically up an ascending progression, with just enough happening to keep each cycle fresh. It is subtle music that is probably best enjoyed as an active listen with headphones, focusing on the small nuances. It is easy to get lost in the small sonic world that they create, and each song is so short that it never becomes laborious or repetitive, in fact when I have been listening to it the last few days I have several times replayed a song before progressing to the next track in the album. They are like extremely tasty bite-sized tapas.
Another highlight of the album is Tres Hermanos featuring Dan Auerbach from The Black keys. Auerbach is also producer of the album, having expressed a desire to work with the brothers after hearing their work. The melody lines of the different guitars and lap steel intertwine and compliment each other nicely. It is evident that all three are listening and responding to each other, and are always playing to serve the song - it is very much a situation of more is less.
Another area of interest for guitar nerds such as myself are the tones. The brothers prefer to use guitars made by Gretsch, a brand usually associated with country and rockabilly players such as Chet Atkins and Eddie Cochran. The tones are clean, sparkly, and snappy, and there is a real pleasure in the arcing vibrato that gives it that spaghetti western vibe. This is best heard on the title track and opener, which also happens to be probably my favourite song on the album. Auerbach mentioned in an interview that the recording for this track was spontaneous, they had just met for the first time at his studio, and the brothers were warming up with this tune. Auerbach hit record without them knowing and it ended up being the take used on the album.
Despite being an instrumental album, you never miss having vocals. The melody lines range from gentle to haunting to wistful to joyous and are always played with intention. They are there to tell the story in place of a singer. Close your eyes and listen if that helps. Turning it up also reveals some texture that’s not easily caught on the surface. If you enjoy the music of spaghetti western legend Ennio Morricone, or the Latin surf styled music of Tommy Guerro, you must give the Hermanos Gutiérrez a spin.
Recommended Songs: El Bueno y el Malo, Tres Hermanos, Pueblo man
Vote now: Double Bogey - Bogey - Par - Birdie - Eagle - Hole-in-One
Great album! Listened to Los Chicos Trites again and it brings out so much emotions. It was perfect for staring at the stars and having this album in the background. At 2:53 of the song there’s a loop going on but another guitar too, I reckon you should learn that!