In his attempt to explore a different set of sounds and influences, Oscar Rodríguez recorded a little 5-song EP under the name Cementerio de Mascotas in just one day. That EP is out now, and it is called After Party. We had already heard the pretty, The Smashing Pumpkin-esque lead single, also called “After Party.” And the rest of the release confirms that this has nothing to do with Matilda Manzana. Cementerio de Mascotas stands on its own legs.
He claims that his new music is some sort of emo revival. Maybe at heart. These songs actually have more in common with the late ’80s/early ’90s Creation Records catalogue, with the simple drum beats and those guitars that scream “shoegaze” loud and clear. When “Hausu” (any relation to the movie?) starts, we get a little post-punk moment which finds him rocking out as we’ve never heard him. The vocals are more straightforward than the Juan Son-like croon he delivers with Matilda, singing depressing lyrics about alcohol and being alone, and there are even some obscure moments (“fiesta negra/Halloween todos los días.”)
With this EP, Rodríguez shows that he has range. Whether it’s pop/rock en español, or tropical electronic pop, he has the ideas and the creativity to make it work.