Some musicians have the blessing, or some say curse, of having music constantly bouncing around their heads. Of course, these songs always want to escape. Unfortunately, they may not always suit the band the artist is currently with. A prolific writer will have enough material for a full solo career as well. Our friend Andru Gomez is doing just that with a new full-length record.
The talented guitarist and vocalist from the band Astronaut & The Trees has been hard at work recording a variety of songs. Andru Gomez will not let his creativity be restricted. He says “When I’m writing music it doesn’t always fit into one genre. I guess I’ve found that by having an acoustic and an electric project I am less limited in the style and amount of music I can create.”
The latest result of the outpouring of Andru’s musical mind is his full-length solo album called A Good Heartache. The 10 track record released last week is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. It dives into indie folk rock with an acoustic flavor making each song sound like it is just for you. The record was recorded with engineer Nathan Golla at Khind-of Records and mixed by the talented Carlos Santos-Györi at Polaris Studios.
The opener “Get My Boots” provides the slow build to draw in the listener before filling the whole canvas with a country-tinged sound to bring you right into the world of Andru Gomez. There is some more pep in the step of “A Sailor’s Song”. The slightly dark bass beat combines well with the harmonica adding an unexpected layer to the song.
Blues mix with pop somehow on “It’s Not That Bad”. The repetitive drumbeat puts the listener in a trance that is broken by the peppy lyrics and hope for positivity. Truly creative songwriting. Even more diversity is shown on “El Borracho” with the peppy them continuing but in a whole different way. There is some beautiful guitar work here as well.
We are taken for a slow ride on “The Mark of A Good Heartache”. The pace and style of the vocals paint a slightly depressing picture as we feel every emotion of the singer Andru Gomez. The closer “Luna” adds more feel with deep echo effects and what I am thinking is a ukelele. At only 2 minutes and 18 seconds, it leaves us begging for more.
Go get some more for yourself on Andru’s BANDCAMP page.
