Jose Gonzalez

Jose Gonzalez writes hushed, intimate folk songs that do a whole lot with very little. On record, it’s just him and his acoustic guitar (sometimes I think I hear bongos but if they’re there, they’re so far down in the mix they might as well not be). Live, he sometimes has a percussionist or two. He’s a very talented guitarist, and this helps breathe life into his music. He plays some really intricate, really beautiful guitar parts. His voice, which is soft and soothing, but no especially fragile, is another asset. If you watch him perform his songs he looks so at peace, his mouth barely moving when he sings, you can tell he really pours a lot of himself into his music.

Jose Gonzalez - Veneer (2003)

On “Veneer,” his debut album, he covers The Knife’s electro-pop hit “Heartbeats” and does immense justice to the song given that he used a vastly different medium. As someone who likes my folk or folk-rock to be energetic and warm, this appeals to me because it’s got so much more going on than most solo musicians with an acoustic guitar. His lyrics are simple, but vague, although they play second fiddle to the guitar playing, which really gives the songs their structure. It’s somewhat shocking to hear some depth to lyrics over such mellow guitar parts. mediafire

Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature (2007)

Gonzalez’s second album, “In Our Nature” is much better produced. You can hear each note a bit clearer. Also, his vocals are higher in the mix, which makes the songs more accessible. The increased use of percussion helps as well. The songs, whether due to the clarity of the sound or simply superior songwriting, sound better. His lyrics seem to have improved as well, although only marginally. They were pretty good to start. While his songs tend to be short (appropriately given the style) the better ones leave me wanting more. On “Veneer” only three songs passed the 3-minute mark and not by much. On “In Our Nature” most of the songs are similarly short as well, but the album ends with an 8-minute track “Cycling Trivialities,” which is not too long for a Jose Gonzalez song. mediafire