Local Review: Musor – Musor Ⅱ

Musor
Musor Ⅱ
Chanchita Records
Street: 01.05
Musor = Chicano Batman + Inner Wave

Bringing their love of psychedelic rock and Peruvian roots into their music, Spanish rock band Musor creates a psych-rock fusion, incorporating their native tongue into the mix of their sound. With elements from Javier Catalan’s bass and Delfor Delgado’s drums, these two set the perfect ambiance for Alan Orellana’s vocals and guitar. This album featured special guest Chelsea Pearl Laterza, who contributed to their EP. 

“Estamos Igual,” which translates to “we are the same,” starts off with a spacey, jammy riff, as Orellana’s adenoidal vocals fill in the rest of the sound. The song itself is very upbeat and sets an atmospheric tone for the rest of the album. Chicano Batman’s “Soniatl” and Musor’s “Estamos Igual” have similar qualities. Both bands have roots in different countries and find ways to incorporate those tones in their music. These songs lean heavily on fuzz, reverb and phaser effects. 

Dissecting their sound a bit more, their structure isn’t always the same, at times more chaotic and improvisational than others. “Verte Talve no Ayude” (seeing you may not help) is more upbeat and exhilarating when compared to “Yo si. ¿Tu no?” (I do. Don’t you?), which is cleaner and more spacey. 

The second song on the album, “Diane,” can be closely compared to “American Spirits” by Inner Wave, an indie-pop band with Latinx roots. Both songs carry smooth, nasal vocals and synth-wave sounds. When listening closely to both bands’ discographies, you can hear Latin beats fused into their sound. 

“Diane” differs greatly from the rest of the album. It has a more indie feel than the others, which are more psych-forward. The song is more experimental, and the vocals are more modulated than the rest. “Diane” is much more melodic and less angsty, and could even  be described as bright. 

Musor carries qualities that make them distinguishable from the rest. Incorporating Spanish into their music can make Spanish speakers feel at home, as they can hear their native tongues through the psychedelic groove. 

Musor doesn’t just fall into psychedelic rock, but ultimately makes the genre their own. Their unique tone and amplification of instruments make them much more versatile. Musor finds a brilliant way to include their roots in their music by taking inspiration from Peruvian music and mixing it with psych, making their unconventional sound much more distinctive. –Litzi Estrada

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