Sonche Atlántico

This short, finely-crafted album by Galician multi-instrumentalist Pancho Álvarez – his fourth solo record – reveals an artist on fine form. From violin and guitar to hurdy-gurdy and harmonica, Álvarez plays nearly all of the many instruments that feature on Sonche Atlántico (loosely meaning ‘I am Atlantic’). His inspiration for the album is life at sea and the many weather-beaten shores of the ocean, from South America to Portugal, but most importantly, his home, the Celtic north-western tip of Spain.

Outstanding instrumental music anchored in Galician folk traditions lies at the heart of Sonche Atlántico. Highlights include the tuneful guitar-led ‘A Borna’, an original composition, and arrangements like ‘Alboradas de O Porriño e Ourense, which develops from a delicate, fairytale-style figure into a rousing processional march. Most enjoyable of all is ‘A Camposa,’ which artfully contrasts a baroque viola da gamba-led melody with a wild fiddle jig. If Sonche Atlántico falls short of being a real gem, however, it’s Álvarez’s singing that’s the weak link.

Next to the evocative accompaniment, his vocals lack a distinctive quality. The one track where Álvarez invites a guest singer along, the sashaying ‘A Cantiga da Segada de Miranda’ featuring Miranda Solleiro, shows what Sonche Atlántico could have been with a little more outside collaboration.