After four albums, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have established themselves as extraordinary musical storytellers, their skill and dexterity with guitars more voluble than any lyric sheet. 9 Dead Alive is inspired by nine diverse historical figures with lasting legacies in their respective fields, from Dostoyevsky to Eleanor of Aquitane. Megalopolis is one of the most intriguing tracks, its intricate plucked intro blooming into life with a disturbing, cinematic sense of mournfulness. The pugnacious Russian Messenger and Fram are telling of the duo's love of metal, while snatches of dialogue about god drift in and out of the minimalist Sunday Neurosis. Their hypnotic sense of rhythm is both propulsive and elegant throughout and, while it might sound like more of the same to some, there's no denying Rodrigo and Gabriela's passion and panache. rodgab.com
Download: Misty Moses, Megalopolis