Okay, I just ran across these guys tonight. And I think they’re my new favorite thing. They’re a Swedish outfit by the name of Principe Valiente, and they make expansive songs with a massive sound and a minimalist mindset. The production is huge, yet the framework is simple, allowing a progressive journey to unfold with an organic clarity.
I was struck first by “Strangers in the Night,” a moody tempest of rhythmic propulsion, full of shivering guitars, driving basslines, and deep clear vocals, calling to mind the likes of Interpol or the Editors. There’s also a seeming homage to the Cure, and you’ll know it when you hear it. But none of it feels derivative. “Strangers in the Night” just has that running wild in the misty mythic forest feel.
Yeah, that’s an unusual description. But it’s what comes to mind. See and hear and imagine for yourself …
“Strangers in the Night” from the 2017 album “Oceans.”
I was going to stop there, but then I heard this second track, “Running Juveniles,” which is completely different from “Strangers in the Night,” yet equally captivating. Here, the Interpol/Editors comparisons definitely come to light in Fernando Honorato’s vocals. But the similarities stop there, as the music takes a turn towards dream-popped shoegaze, shedding dark tendencies for blissed rhythms and sonic ruminations. When I first heard this song, I honestly didn’t expect it to go where it went. And it’s all the better for it.
Here’s “Running Juveniles,” which is as good a celebration of youth as any.
“Running Juveniles” from the 2017 album “Oceans.”
For good measure, here’s Principe Valiente’s official music videos for both tracks … Let’s start with the chilly goth-filtered visions of “Strangers in the Night.”
And then move onto “Running Juveniles,” which is a bit all over the map, stylistically. But it kinda works, all the same.
