Duermevela

Duermevela, the follow-up to El Barrio's chart-topping La Voz de Mi Silencio (2007), is his ninth album and is typical of his output to date in some ways. A decade and a half into his recording career as El Barrio, singer/songwriter José Luis Figuereo continues to push the boundaries of flamenco fusion with a musical style that veers from hard rock to Latin alternative, all the while demonstrating a firm grasp of flamenco tradition. As always, the electric guitar riffs that propel much of Duermevela are what jump out at first, yet it's Figuereo himself who warrants the most attention. The dynamics of his singing are marvelous to behold, and his songwriting is sentimental and often profound. This is nothing new for longtime fans of El Barrio, of course. What's exceptional about Duermevela is the conceptual framework, with Figuereo casting himself as an insomniac and writing a series of songs from this perspective. The album gets off to a dramatic start with the heavy metal instrumental "Insomnio," which drags on a bit and functions primarily as an introductory jolt before the storytelling begins with "Mi Amor" and "Crónica de un Gay." The highlight of the album comes near the midpoint with "Crónicas de una Loca," a song that captures everything great about El Barrio: lyrics that paint an emotionally moving story, an invigorating backing track of flamenco-rock, and a chorus that is both melodic and memorable. The conceptual framework of Duermevela is admittedly gimmicky at times, as if Figuereo were in need of a novel songwriting device for the album so that it wouldn't compare too closely to La Voz de Mi Silencio, which had been a huge success for him. In any case, the conceptual bent of Duermevela does differentiate the album from its predecessors and gives Figuereo a frame in which he can work as a songwriter. Duermevela may not be one of El Barrio's best albums, but it has enough flashes of brilliance to make it essential listening for fans.