In his new EP, Paisajismo Nocturno, Hotel has found a new voice. Literally. Venezuelan singer-songwriter Diego García, the man behind this ungoogleable moniker, has left behind the boyish vocal mannerisms heard on his previous effort, the 2013 EP called Otras Muertes. He now sounds more mature, but his quest is definitely the same as before, which is to deliver poetry through a folk vocabulary.
“Cecilio Acosta (Apología del Neón para Tenor),” the third track on Paisajismo Nocturno, is a great example. Over a beautiful fingerpicked acoustic guitar, Hotel sings lyrics that are hard to decipher, filled with splendid-yet-obscure words and references, like the initial Ordóñez de Villaquirán name-drop. But woven together, these words feel magical, and he contextualizes the scenario by setting himself up on Cecilio Acosta, an important avenue in his native Maracaibo, where he actually recorded the EP. That explains the added traffic field recordings. So, go ahead and get lost in the poetry of the Maracaibo streets. Stream the complete EP right here.