A new EP release from Juan El Grande delivers a very unique approach to pop and rock soundscapes as he blends together elements of keys, synths, beats, and electric guitars along with robust vocals that all come together to create a sort of atmosphere that you end up getting attached to.
The Explore! EP has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to, as the record spans three songs that each show a little bit of a different side of not only the songwriting approach but of the artist himself as well and I find that to be very luring and intriguing.
One of the things I really love about this record is the grooves that he provides on some of the songs with sort of lush percussion that helps fill a space in the songs and with that you have this element also of cinematic backbone at certain points but all in all, you find yourself paying attention to the lyrics and everything that's being sung.
There are elements of lounge, dance-pop, vintage pop, rock, and a lot more all rolled into one record and so even though the EP is three songs, you still sort of don't know exactly what you're going to get next and I think being able to expect the unexpected is quite fun.
It is very clear that Juan El Grande has a lot of different influences that play a hand in how he writes and records his music and I find that because of it, certain songs come out with a bright and vibrant sort of color to them and an energy that is very addictive.
You can tell that this is an artist that absolutely has a massive love for his craft and I don't just mean singing or playing guitar or writing key sections, what I mean is writing entire songs and putting them together, releasing them out to the world and moving on to the next.
It feels like being in the studio is where he is in his zone or happy place if you will and I love that because that certain kind of warmth actually comes through in the music.
You can tell that he's loving what he's doing and there's a certain level of heart that comes through.
You can also hear classic rock influences in some of the percussion, drumming, basslines, and vocals as well as some of these elements are coated in reverb for example, and even just his vocal approach can be very classic rock at times.
He has a little bit of a deeper voice but it comes through very robustly and at times he doubles his vocals to add more layers and it makes the song sound more intense where he wants it to.
This record really surprised me and it was not only enjoyable but had a little bit of depth to its charisma, solid songwriting, and a unique approach to putting out a record that is eclectic but still has a great confluent connectivity between the songs.
A wonderfully woven record from Juan El Grande.
Definitely check this out when you get a chance and see what I mean.
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