Costa Rican noise rock trio Colornoise have been exploring a new sound since the release of 2013’s rumbly, droney, and thrilling Polychronic. Around this time last year, they released a 70s psych-inspired single titled “Amalie,” after adding a third member, guitarist and synth player Mari Navarro. The song found the ever-evolving band experimenting with things like melody and intelligible English lyrics, and the results were compelling. NPR even named it one of their favorite songs of 2015.
Today, we’re happy to be the first to share their newest sonic foray, “She Was Machine.” This track is the second single teasing their forthcoming third album, promised for September of this year. This one is a big, bluesy rocker, strongly influenced by late 90s PJ Harvey and other guitar heroines of that era. There’s a thudding backbeat on the low end and woozy vocals on the high end. On the surface, the lyrics seem to have a heartbreaking femme fatale for their muse. For example: “She took my money/She took my honey.” Lead vocalist and guitarist Sonya Carmona tells us, “The song projects the inner fight against the mind and its possessive urges, represented as a machine-like woman.” Surreal, post-punk metaphors. Check.
“She Was Machine” is a little more direct than “Amalie,” but no less evocative and, in its own way, just as layered, not to mention catchy. Using the two singles as data points, it’s hard to say what to expect from the new album, other than, you know, some truly great rock ‘n’ roll songs with enigmatic lyrics. Color us already way into it.