Intraperlo
Valencian outfit Intraperlo are back with three new tracks, a healthy dose of irreverence and a sound that gets straight to the point. Their latest EP, Los Cerdos Ya Vuelan, might be their most stripped-back release yet, but there's absolutely nothing restrained about the attitude.
Led by songwriter Carlos Garrigós, alongside Hugo Jujo on guitar and Carlos Hernández on drums, Intraperlo have returned with a six-minute statement of intent. They've also brought back Valencian producer and sound engineer Carlos Campos to help shape a collection that swaps elaborate arrangements for something leaner, rawer and considerably more direct. And it works.
There's a sharper edge to this new material, with the band's trademark contrasts still firmly in place. Irony, social commentary and a healthy dose of self-criticism run through the three tracks, with lyrics that feel increasingly rooted in everyday reality. Metaphors make room for blunt observations, uncomfortable truths and the sort of dark humour that makes you laugh before you realise quite how bleak things actually are.
Opening track ‘Cada Vez Bebo Más y Menos Agua’ wastes absolutely no time getting its point across. Clocking in as a one-minute mantra, it's a gloriously uncomplicated little number with all the ingredients of a questionable drinking anthem. Short, sharp and impossible to ignore.
‘Tontipop’ takes things up a gear, pairing an accelerated, almost celebratory rhythm with lyrics carrying a much darker message. It's a classic Intraperlo trick: make you want to move while quietly reminding you that the world is in a pretty sorry state. That collision between the upbeat and the uncomfortable is where the band really hit their stride.
Then comes ‘A Los Pies Del Esternón’, arguably the EP's most intriguing moment. A mid-tempo change of pace, it introduces layers of reverb and delay, with Garrigós' vocals brought closer to the listener. It's a more atmospheric, intimate finish that gives the record another dimension without losing the stripped-back approach.
At just six minutes, Los Cerdos Ya Vuelan is over almost as quickly as it arrives, but there's plenty packed into those three songs. Intraperlo have resisted the temptation to overcomplicate things, instead trusting their songwriting, their instincts and their ability to make contrasts work.
The result is direct, witty, occasionally uncomfortable and thoroughly engaging. Three tracks, no unnecessary padding and plenty still left to say. Los Cerdos Ya Vuelan sounds like Intraperlo clearing their throats before the next round. If this is the sound of the band keeping things simple, we're certainly interested to hear what happens when they decide to turn everything back up.
You can check them out here: Intraperlo
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