The latest from Mexico City’s Mint Field brings members of Ulrika Spacek on board. The album achieves a gentle balance between fever and dream that shows growth over the predecessor’s fuzzed-out psychedelia. Sentimiento Mundial allures with wistful, airy melodies that touch on multiple genres, working in moments of their usual dark subterfuge.
Originally a two piece, Sentimiento Mundial sees original founder Estrella del Sol (vocals, guitar) forming with Sebastian Neyr (bass) and drummer Callum Brown (Ulrika Spacek), and a rhythm section bolstered by collaborators Cathy Lucas (Vanishing Twin), and Nathan Pigott. Both Brown and producer Syd Kemp are members of UK space-gaze outfit Ulrika Spacek, whose presence served to add a more clean-cut and spiky edge to the band's sound.
The album begins deceptively sweet, del Sol’s dreamy vocals serving as the focal point, before launching into offbeat rhythms and dissonant melodies. Fuzzy atmospheric guitar passages are present, yet Mint’s Field’s penchant for heavily-laden effects is reduced in favor of clean, often feverish, guitar, offset by hypnotic motorik beats and repetitive rhythms that provide a dreamy consistency ("No te Caigas", "Contingencia").
Overall, the album sees the band moving in the direction of intelligent pop and away from guitar onslaught. This is not a hook-laden disc, choosing to captivate instead with clean guitar phrasing overlaid by angelic vocals ("Aterrizar," "Nuestro Sentido"), flirting with an interplay of airy sounds and darker, edgy moments ("Nadie te est√° Persiguiendo"). This is a rewarding creation, but prior fans may need more time to unravel the changes.
 
 
 
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