Fácil / Facil

Completely style-less, Facil is about as original of the change of seasons, but can be enjoyable. Maldita Nerea's trade is run of the mill, mainstream rock that sounds like everyone and no one in particular, just because there are too many bands bashing out the same type of simple guitar leads over the sacramental three chords, strummed or maybe chugged with the overdrive set to minimum, to simple rhythms and background synths that you don't really notice for awhile. '80s rock is the only reference of any note, just because this was when this music was perfected and canonized, but even that's a stretch: the speedier songs remind of Soul Asylum or have a slight new wave tinge to the guitars, and the soft stuff is almost Wet Wet Wet, though admittedly not as sappy, but elsewhere, it's closer to Counting Crows in their best moments, when they're neither too melodramatic nor trying to hide their self-centered bitterness behind angsty fun; when they were genuinely romantic. This is rock by default, the standard setup, but there's actually a trick to it that few groups understand: the music is supposed to avoid stylistic embellishments not because it's OK to be non-challenging, but because it's all about hooks: the good old songwriting. And there, Maldita Nerea has the bases covered, The tunes, while not really "Runaway Train" or "Mr. Jones," hit all the right notes, the leads are attention-grabbing, the melodies are moving (but not melodramatic), and the rhythms just match the pace of a heart in love. It's still the aural equivalent of a Hollywood romantic comedy, but one that would see re-releases well past its screening date.