(Alternative Rock, Art Rock) Al Berkowitz Band - Barely Nice (WEB) - 2009, FLAC (tracks), lossless

Produced by Al Berkowitz Band
Recorded at Estudios Tigruss (Gandia, Valencia), Estudios El Lado Izquierdo (Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid) and Estudios Mare Nostrum (Majadahonda, Madrid), between 01-11-2007 and 05-12-2007.
Recordings engineered by Pepe Gomar and Jordi Sapena (Tigruss) and Daniel Richter (El Lado Izquierdo).
Edited by Ignacio Simon all around autumn 2007.
Mixed by Daniel Richter at Estudios El Lado Izquierdo, on December 2007.
Mastered by Bob Katz at Digidomain Studios (Orlando, Florida, USA) on December 2008
Al Berkowitz Band's music is influenced by a big number of styles, musicians and bands, namely Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and the whole Soft Machine crew, Scott Walker, Morphine, Talk Talk and Mark Hollis, Can, Ash Ra Tempel and "krautrock" in general, Syd Barrett and the earliest Pink Floyd's sounds, King Crimson, Pere Ubu, Television, Talking Heads, Radiohead, some electronic musicians, for instance, Venetian Snares and Steve Roach, Brian Eno, The Stone Roses, Tom Waits, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, The Smiths or a fistful of "classical" masters such as Debussy and Takemitsu. Anyway, the Al Berkowitz Band doesn't sound like any of the former. Actually they always try to find their own language to tell whatever they want to tell and they are still evolving and looking to perfect it.
Their first work has some fine and original moments and their music seems delightful, yet promiseful. Each track is carefully crafted and each song displays its own feeling, always trying not to get stuck on a style or a stereotype.
Besides, their lyrics are often surrealistic but somewhat sincere and profound. They talk about everything and nothing at once and one can never tell whether they are serious or not.
Being a conventional power trio on stage but always keen on highly elaborated studio work, until the day, they have handled two different attitudes towards live performances and studio work (see "Apprenticeship and attiutde live album"). When performing live they look forward to achieve a rawer, yet intimate sound, squeezing to the limit the possibilities of their instruments. The power of their music usually relies on a well driven rhythmic section, thus vocals and guitars can perform rather freely their own strength. On the other hand, studio work faces a more "megalomaniac" musical concept. Their studio creations/arrangements are rich but meticulous; full of guitar counterpoints, keyboard details, atmospheres and sound experimentation, in the vein of The Beatles and Radiohead. Therefore studio work feels never restricted by live performance possibilities nor vice versa. But in the end, although different at their development, their main core remains identical, as both approaches share the same spirit.

Santiago Estrada: Bass guitar, background vocals
Lorenzo Palomares: Drums, percussion
Ignacio Simon: Lead and background vocals, guitars, keyboards, harmonium, cornet, soundscapes
Aldous B. Berkowitz: Mind assesment, spiritual guidance, unconditional affection and musical illumination