At Christmas, a colleague told me about Nievla. The Granada band had just presented their second album, Miradas, at Planta Baja alongside the Catalan group Montesco. It caught my attention then. Months later, I like it even more.
They are one of those bands critics sometimes overlook, with barely a foothold on the usual venue and festival circuit. That is a shame, because Miradas rewards close, repeated listening.
The quintet comprises Toni, Andrés, Nacho, Antonio and Álvaro. Toni Jiménez leads on vocals and guitar and writes the songs, bringing extensive live experience with Lori Meyers, Niños Mutantes, Carlangas and Madame Popova. Producer Jaime Beltrán gives the record its atmospheric layers and handles the arrangements with exceptional care.
What do Nievla sound like? They are difficult to pin down. There are echoes of Radiohead in the melancholy, guitars that recall the edge of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and a way of making pop that feels rooted in Granada without leaning on folklore.
The tracklist gets straight to the point: eight linear songs, yes, but each one with its own pulse.
“Sal!”: ambient and drum and bass. Broken rhythm and sharp guitars that open the album with tension.
“Un poco más”: the first hit. Hypnotic bass and guitars that get into your head. There is something very Banshees in the shine.
“Hielo”: another hit. Beautiful and peculiar. It grabs you from the first chorus and with that guitar edge at the end.
“Todo el tiempo”: intimate ballad. Naked, unadorned, and that's why it hurts more.
“En realidad no”: undisputed hit. Rhythm engine and cutting guitars. To sing at the top of your lungs.
“Lo que dejaste”: features Ana Jiménez—Toni's sister, collaborator and frontwoman of Madame Popova—bringing a different vocal texture to the centre of the record.
“Juventud” and “La espera”: close the journey with the restrained melancholy that defines the band.
Miradas is intimate, introspective music: made for a cloudy day, headphones and moderate volume. Nothing conventional; plenty of class; no hurry at all.
Hopefully Nievla will continue to grow. Projects like this deserve support: they are what keep a scene alive beyond the surrounding noise.
Score: 75/100