His lethargic, jangle-pop bedroom rock will inevitably result in comparisons to Mac DeMarco, but Madrid-based Lois is serving something else altogether. Liken him to any current weirdo-pop cantor you want, but this guy’s on another plane of reality, someplace where Neil Diamond, Nick Cave, and Morrissey are a wolfpack-tight trio listening to obscure 60s pop 45s together on a rainy afternoon.
Lois’ latest offering is a clip for “Forced Holidays,” which, like the video for “Before You,” quilts together footage from hanging out and slacking off. This time, though, he’s not celebrating his birthday in Oslo, but relaxing in his hometown of Dodro, Galicia. A good chunk of it was shot by Hinds frontwoman Ana Perrote, and there are cameos by Lois’ comrades from Madrid lo-fi pop bands like Baywaves and Somos La Herencia, as well as producer Miqui Brightside.
For years he’s rightfully earned lots of love as the frontman and guitarist for the post-punk act Trajano!, and while nobody said they’re mutually exclusive, let’s just accept our immense excitement about this particular project. There’s something grand and romantic about every one of the handful of songs he’s released so far — yet there’s always a hint of sunshine to lighten the brooding atmosphere. As a solo artist, Lois is at his most brilliant.
Photo by @larrybalboaphoto