Right off the bat, “Tabla” welcomes you with a guitar riff that screams summer. Listening to it will make you picture beaches, skateboarding on hot pavement, and outdoor music festivals. It calls to mind everything from the guitar licks that complemented early Beach Boys harmonies, to the work of 90s stoner bands like Fu Manchu. It’s driving, it’s effortless, and believe it or not, fresh as cucumber (for a track that features a fuzzed out guitar also doubling as bone-rattling bass).
The video for “Tabla,” the opening track of Cardiel’s Local Solo album, features the Venezolanos in Mexico City doing what they know best: rocking as hard as they can. Directed by Francisco Sainz, the shots showcase the band shredding just like they do live; it captures the magic Miguel Fraino and Samantha Ambrocio make when they get together to destroy. It also features a dog driving a van while both of them play; and who doesn’t trust a dog driving a van?
While snow, rain and other meteorological phenomena would have us believe we’re a long way from sunny days, Cardiel are delivering a message of hope. We’re bound for a heavy summer (in the best way possible way).
Catch them live at Festival Marvin in Mexico City.