Suenacuento by CECILIA ANN

FORMATS: LP / CD Digipak / Digital Album

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CECILIA ANN formed in Granada (south of Spain) in May 93. Their five members had no previous experience in bands, so that they devote these first years to learning how to play and write songs. After obtaining a good position in the battle of the bands organized by Rock de Lux magazine, they are signed by Elefant Records. In 1997 their first single is out, produced by Alejandro Díez from LOS FLECHAZOS (now in his new band COOPER).They also start playing live, on their own or supporting LOS FLECHAZOS, THE POSIES and BMX BANDITS.
Their first album appears in 1998, under the title of “Un segundo”. This time production is signed by POSIES guitarist Ken Stringfellow. The result is an amazing collection of hits full of strong guitars and catchy melodies, in which it’s pretty difficult to stand out any track above the rest: all of them could have been singles, though only “Azul” and “Gris” obtained that honour.

From the moment “Un segundo” is released the band starts a long Spanish tour which takes them all over the country. In 1998 they play in all the most important festivals: Benicassim, Espárrago Rock and Bam.
CECILIA ANN invest great part of 1999 in writing new songs, keeping on playing live -they support some dates of NADA SURF Spanish tour- and going through some line-up changes: the original bass and drum players quit and are substituted by Pablo and Sergio; the band is completed by Arturo (gutar and lead vocals), Estrella (guitar and vocals) and Francis (keyboards). With this brand new line-up they feature in “Looking For Chencho”, a short film directed by Kepa Sojo.

And now we have CECLIA ANN’s new album: “Suenacuento”. As in their debut, the main ingredient of this record are classic pop songs of the first order. Songs excellently constructed, with a strong sixties root but never too retro. Songs which make CECILIA ANN a very difficult band to pigeonhole, as tracks like “Niño feliz” or “Bellas artes” don’t need to be included in any trend or craze to shine as the beautiful pop pearls they truly are.

CECILIA ANN are basically a guitar oriented band. But if in their previous album the sound was rough and naked as in their live sets, in “Suenacuento” songs are dressed with all kinds of lavish arrangements: strings and horns written by Jerónimo Sánchez and performed by the Ciudad de Granada Orchestra; a good example could be “Solemío”, a song that had previously appeared in a demo version in our “Verano del 99” compilation: here is much better formulated and finished.

We can also bump into some other new elements in the band’s sound, as banjos and mandolins played by Pablo, plus some tiny electronic effects that blend perfectly with the classic guitar based sound of CECILIA ANN.

Concerning the lyrics, they have also got much more mature and personal: there is much more irony and corrosive humour in them right now. In the first single, “Romperosa”, Arturo attacks the empty-headed world of the gossip magazines, very popular in Spain. There are also references to bureaucracy -“Funcionarama”- and portraits of people who lives a too easy life: “La oferta final” and “De todo un poco”. We can also find a description of smalltown boredom -“Gas ciudad”-, and those moments of euphoria when we think we’re the centre of the universe, like in “Local heroe 82”.

Among the list of collaborators, we can meet their/our old friend Alejandro Díez doing backing vocals in “Local Heroe 82” and “Gas ciudad”. This last song is sung by Estrella, who also sings in “La mujer pez”, another outstanding moment of the album, which also features a guitar line written by Felipe from LOS FRESONES REBELDES.

If there’s something that remains from their first album, it’s the feeling that any track could work perfectly as a single: all of them are very radio-friendly, with their deliciously catchy choruses, plenty of energy and freshness. CECILIA ANN brings us a new collection of excellent pop songs, and that’s the label or definition that suits them better.

elefant.com