If you long for lighter-in-the-air, stomp-clap inspiring, wail-worthy anthems, then Ases Falsos has long been the band for you. Even if you’re more of an iPhone-waving, slow-grinding, song hummer, Ases Falsos is still the band for you. There is no other band out there right now producing so many potential hits with such gusto and heart as these guys. Chile has always stood out for its pop prowess, but Ases Falsos are a cut above the rest. No glitter, no dance moves, no synth overhaul—not that there’s anything wrong with that!—just pure instrumental chemistry and so-honest-it-hurts lyrics.
Cristóbal Briceño has always been skilled with words and it really shows in Conducción, their sophomore follow up to the beloved Juventud Americana. Tracks like the sweet “Niña por favor,” lead single “Simetría,” and Huey Lewis & The News-style power ballad “Plácidamente” exhibit this attention to particular turns of phrases and quotable passages. “Plácidamente” and “Cae la cortina,” two of the album’s best, are also proof that the band doesn’t shy away from cheese; they both channel, respectively, the pleasantries and melodrama of the ‘80s.
Even when I think there’s a misstep in the album– “Tora Bora” and “Ivanka”—I understand its place within the 14-track outpour. Conducción is meant to be a roller coaster of, dare I say, emotions. It’s meant to have its ups and downs and flat lines. It’s meant to mirror the outside world by obsessively exploring interior life. That’s why Conducción is so effective; it rises above the artifice.
Conducción is out via Quemasucabeza.