“Sour Mango” is Gabriel Garzón-Montano’s first official follow-up single to his Bishouné: Alma del Huila EP from earlier this year (though he did turn in a soulful lullaby in September). The song was originally destined to join Bishouné‘s debut effort, a 10-track assemblage that Garzón-Montano says was created during his first uncertain steps into the world after he graduated from college. But somehow the song didn’t fit, which is why instead of joining the Bishouné track list, it is instead serving as Garzón-Montano’s announcement of Jardín, to be released on January 27 by Stones Throw Records.
It’s easy to imagine the chords in “Sour Mango” coming out of a phonograph. That old-time vibe is expansive, breezy even, but it underscores lyrics that fall heavy on anyone who has missed a relationship that was no good, but so good: “Although I played with myself baby I had to weep/In tribute to a very funky tragedy/Plucked a piece of fruit it wasn’t so sweet.”
“I named the album Jardín hoping for it to create a space for healing when people put it on,” says the singer, whose visuals for “Trial” evoked a similar feeling of support and rebirth. It’s decent timing if the album is meant as a health clinic for feels — one imagines that by January 27, everyone’s going to have accepted that their dramatic winter holiday breakup is for real. A nice moment for additions to your “moving on” playlist – you know the one.