In a move that completely caught me off guard, Matamoska! released a single with almost no notice or hype. This comes years after the release of the Los Angeles band’s self-titled 2024 album, which really showcased their range and highlighted how incredible they are to a national audience. Matamoska! went over five years between albums before their last album dropped, and I had mostly assumed that a similar wait would be expected before hearing more from them. So when I saw this single, I was completely shocked.
The newest single is titled “Soledad”, and while the band mostly sings in English, they have always had songs that were in Spanish, and this track falls entirely into the latter category.
The song begins with a slow deep bass line and a simple drum rhythm to keep the pace. Long, held notes on the keyboard lay under a single solemn trumpet. It feels a little somber. If I could draw this intro with an image, it would be a 1950s-era man in a trench coat or a raincoat at night on an empty street, with a single streetlight or spotlight creating a silhouette. But he’s not standing alone: he’s walking somewhere. Likewise, the intro has movement, and it’s going somewhere.
The trombone gets a little more lively and plays its jazzy rhythm; an electric guitar chimes in with a distorted punk wail. The drums come alive, no longer keeping the pace, but setting a new aggression. All comes to a halt as shouted vocals set the stage. A ska rhythm jumps in, and the song breaks into excitement. The horns take center stage in the rhythm section between the vocals as Latin ska-core dominates the next three minutes.
One of my favorite things about Matamoska! is their continuous evolution of sound. This isn’t just from one album to the next: their last album had incredible diversity across it, and that continues to be true right here. The nine-piece band is full of incredible musicians, and they thrive at constructing interesting songs that are simple and fun enough to enjoy, but complex enough to appreciate.
I have no idea if this is the hint of a future album or a standalone single, but it definitely has piqued my interest and has me excited for the possibility of more.
Take a listen to “Soledad” below.
Written by Gimp Leg
