Melenas come from Pamplona, and Ahora finds the Spanish quartet pushing their jangle pop and garage rock into sharper electronic territory. The guitars are still there, but analog keyboards now do much of the forward motion, with Korg Delta and Yamaha PSR-36 tones giving the songs a bright, slightly mechanical pulse. “K2” and “Bang” bring a krautrock drive, while “1986” turns early-80s new wave synths into a proper pop hook. “Flor de la frontera” is cooler and darker, and “1,000 canciones” gets its lift from Korg Monologue and Moog textures alongside live bass and drums.
There’s a strong sense of togetherness in the fuller vocal harmonies, and the arrangements keep circling ideas about time, shared moments, and deciding what to keep. That gives the record a little more weight than its immediate melodies might suggest, though it never loses its grip on pop. Trouble In Mind released it in the US, a fitting home for a band making Spanish-language songs with such a clear indie pop identity. Fans of dream pop, synthpop, garage rock, and post-punk should find plenty here, especially in “Dos pasajeros”, “Tú y yo”, and the instantly memorable “Promesas”. Ahora is available as a paid release on vinyl, CD, and several digital formats.
