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Review: Robert Gomez
Robert Gomez’s 20-minute afternoon set at the SXSW Day Stage offered a tantalizing taste of what promised to be a sumptuous banquet of an evening showcase. The Denton songwriter’s daytime ensemble included drums, violin, cello, accordion, trombone and keyboards. He played the tres, a type of Cuban guitar he’s studied with the phenomenal Nelson Gonzales (Gloria Estefan, Cachao). The tres and drums gave the music the propulsion of rock, while the other instruments created a dream-like landscape with arrangements so lush, it sometimes seemed like a whole orchestra was on stage. (Nevertheless, a larger ensemble was on the menu for the evening.)
Gomez had a bookish look, wearing a blazer over jeans and stylish spectacles. His warm vocals seemed more part of the music’s atmosphere than the centerpiece, sometimes giving the lyrics a subliminal effect. He occasionally used a gauzy falsetto or raised the volume and intensity a little to emphasize a phrase, but his voice followed the same subtle, organic approach to dynamics as the instruments. The drama was in the beauty of the whole, rather than momentary displays of virtuosity.
Gomez’s melodies tend to shimmer gently and draw the listener along, rather than stamping themselves into the consciousness with obvious hooks. When the songs ended, they seemed to be not so much reaching the conclusion of a statement, but offering the promise of new developments, as when “On This Day” reached a final sigh that seemed like the musical equivalent of a cinematographer’s dissolve. Each song spun its spell, but music so gorgeously enveloping definitely calls for a longer timespan to bask in it fully.
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