Melingo – S’Il Vous Plaît (2022)

FLAC

An inseparable figure of the Argentinian scene, Daniel Melingo has had a busy career. Close to the tropicalist constellation, during the dictatorship of the generals, then spearhead of many rock groups, in Buenos Aires as in Madrid, the dapper sixty-year-old returns with “Sil Vous Plaît”, an anthology which covers the last twenty years of his discography. Devoted to tango, milonga or cancione, this disc offers an appreciable overview, especially when one knows the musical quality of his recent opuses… Comparable to Shane MacGowan (for the power of narration) and Corto Maltese ( for exuded romanticism), Melingo is above all a formidable storyteller, coupled with a subtle composer. Obvious characteristics with “Televidente De La Vida” and “Lucio, El Anarquista”, two tracks where Carlos Gardel meets the expressionist soundtracks of the Old Continent; thanks to “Narigon” and its dub counterpart, a version far from reggae but stuffed with heady percussion; and via the whirling “Corazon & Hueso”, a highly addictive ballad, where the tanned timbre of Daniel Melingo intersects with beautiful string arrangements. On the production side, this compilation does not sound like a vulgar catch-all. Better, the titles are judiciously classified by musical genres. A clear presentation, which allows you to appreciate this unique musician to his full extent.