INDIE SPARKLES WITH RUSSIAN RED

by: Diego Martínez


Lourdes Hernández is rarely known in US shores, yet this 24-year-old Spanish songbird (whose lipstick of choice is undoubtedly her stage name) is already a seasoned veteran of music festivals all over Europe and has been building a strong cult following since her emergence in 2008, with her heartfelt take on folk-pop-rock, written and sung entirely in English. While the delicate tunes on her debut album “I Love Your Glasses” firmly established Russian Red as a hot figure in Spain’s alternative scene, her sophomore offering entitled “Fuerteventura” is bound to turn heads to those unaware of her existence.

Recorded, produced and mixed in Glasgow by Tony Doogan and accompanied by musicians from Belle & Sebastian, the new album sees Lourdes taking charge and developing her sound, an evolution that only seems natural for the young singer. She revisits the melancholic, intimate and child-like traces of her humble beginnings (think Mazzy Star embellished with a little Joanna Newsom and She & Him) and adds more dynamics with the mix of classic-contemporary instrumentation and her delightful voice.

The outcome is an enjoyable record that reflects diverse, honest and personal states of mind and confirms Russian Red’s impressive skills as a writer and overall artist.