Las Consecuencias

Enrique Bunbury follows his American roots rock-inspired Hellville De Luxe with yet another U-turn to a winding career in the reflective Las Consecuencias. For this largely acoustic affair, Bunbury leaves his rock & roll hero persona at the door but retains its inner turmoil, which only heightens the typically somber nature of his lyrics. Bunbury is never one to shy away from wearing his influences on his sleeve, and Las Consecuencias offers him an opportunity to try his hand at the "written during many a sleepless night album" genre. Indeed, the familiar shadows of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Neil Young, and, as always, Bob Dylan are never far away. While the subdued setting clearly places the entire weight of the album on Bunbury's texts and voice, the good news is that he rises to the challenge with one of his stronger batches of songs in years. These ten new compositions are smoldering, slow-burning narratives, featuring mature -- and often decidedly beautiful -- lyrics and impassioned vocal performances, matched by a stately tapestry of acoustic guitars, piano, and violin. True, there is a general sameness to many of these songs (similar in turn to many previous Bunbury ballads), so that the ones that immediately stand out are those that deviate from the norm, such as the unexpected cover of Jeanette's "Frente a Frente," sung together with Miren Iza, and "Los Habitantes," with fierce electric guitar work by Jordi Mena. However, the emotional impact of tracks such as "Las Consecuencias," "Ella Me Dijo Que No," and "El Boxeador," to name but the first three, may prove even more rewarding to the attentive listener. Las Consecuencias might be not be Enrique Bunbury's most creative or adventurous effort, but this fine album shows the perennially wandering bohemian from Zaragoza at his most intimate and heartfelt, truly at the peak of his songwriting powers.