Aries' third album,
Adieu or Die, is a glittering, shimmering bedroom disco ball of indie pop meets electronics, similar to
Panda Bear, but only if he was way calmer and far more straightforward. Isabel Fernández Reviriego is the driving force behind the project, and her previous albums as
Aries have hinted at the richness and graceful beauty heard here, but only now does it all come together perfectly. With acoustic guitar and her lovely voice as the constants, Reviriego adds bright loops and bleeping electronics to the warm melodies, building the songs into shiny, self-contained objects of quiet beauty. The songs fit together like squares on a quilt warm enough to keep you comfortable in the winter and colorful enough to have a picnic feast on during the summer months. A few of the songs stand out, thanks to their sharper-than-the-rest hooks. The thumping "El Paseo" sounds like a fairy-winged
El Guincho track, "Eclipse Total" features Reviriego's most open-hearted vocals (which is saying a lot), and "Memorias" has an infectious beat and the most singalong-friendly vocals here. Mostly though, the album flows together from song to song like a well-chosen and well-cooked meal, with the sounds and melodies complementing and subtly playing off each other until the end is reached and the listener is fully satisfied -- especially after digesting the 11-plus-minute title track that ends the album on a puffy wave of sleep-inducing synths and sequencers. It's a fine way to end the album, sending you off to dreamland with a tender embrace.
Adieu or Die marks the full fruition of Reviriego's talents and is sure to make any and all fans of tender indie electronic pop happy. ~ Tim Sendra