Sparse arrangements, haunting melodies, and lyrics full of symbolism are the calling card of José González, a Swedish troubadour whose sparkling original and inventive covers are taking Europe and the whole world by storm. His sound is a result of growing up in Sweden with an Argentinian father, soaking up the influences of Brazilian, Cuban, American, and Scandinavian artists.
Part of González’s signature style comes from his use of a nylon-string classical guitar (instead of the more common steel-string). The nylon strings give a smoother sound, which perfectly compliments his silky voice. The mix of classical guitar and hushed vocals evokes Nick Drake or the early work of Iron & Wine. In addition to his original songs he mixes in an eclectic mix of covers, from Bruce Springsteen (“The Ghost of Tom Joad”) to Massive Attack (“Teardrop”).
González hasn’t always been a solo artist. Growing up he was part of several bands, mostly hardcore and punk. It was while he was with these bands he learned how to play classical guitar and started writing songs for it. He recently appeared on Zero 7′s album The Garden and is currently a member of the band Junip.
In addition to being a gifted musician, González seems like an interesting guy. A quote from his bio on his website hints at this:
“You could compare the construction of his music with the research he was doing when Veneer was released, at which time he was educating himself to become a researcher in biochemistry at the university of Gothenburg”. So, wait. He was teaching himself biochemistry in order to become a researcher? Damn.
González released his first album, Veneer in 2003, to tremendous critical acclaim. Once the song “Heartbeats” (a cover, originally done by fellow Swedes The Knife) was used in a Sony Bravia commercial the album also achieved commercial success. Earlier this year he released his followup, In Our Nature.
Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature
The title track is a pretty good introduction into González. It has the distinctive guitar, the pseudo-Latin feel, laid back vocals, and variations in intensity you can expect from most of his songs.
Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop
A Massive Attack cover (an instrumental version of the original is used as the theme song for Fox’s House, M.D.). This track shows his ability to take another artist’s song and completely transform it.
Bonus Videos
“Heartbeats” live (with footage from the Sony Bravia commercial)
“Down the Line” (live on Conan)
Links
Buy In Our Nature at Amazon
Official Site
Jose on MySpace
Sony Bravia Commercial Featuring “Heartbeats”
A live full live show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, recorded and podcasted by NPR
