Ian Joe Bailey – Ven y Ven
Ian Joe Bailey's 'Ven y Ven' is a gorgeous slice of bilingual indie rock from Portland, melancholic surf textures meeting Dalí-inspired whimsy in a beauty of a track
Ian Joe Bailey opens 'Ven y Ven' with acoustic guitar that feels sun-bleached and slightly haunted. The track draws from Goya's meditation on loneliness and mortality, but Bailey finds something playful in the darkness, layering synths and keys over varied percussion until the whole thing shimmers with cartoon-like warmth. It's a lush indie groove, with Spanish lyrics that sit beautifully in the mix, and there's a surf-rock looseness that keeps it moving even when the subject matter turns heavy. It's great indie rock, with a touch of the whimsical and melancholic.
Bailey is a Portland artist carving out space for Spanish-language psych rock in the American indie landscape. He recorded this one at the Center for Sound Light and Color with producer Ryan Oxford, the pair tracking every instrument themselves. The single comes from his album 'Tal para Cual', built around Salvador Dalí's reinterpretations of Goya's Los Caprichos. He's got a show coming up at Bar Botéllon in SE Portland. We love the concept, and the song delivers it in spades. Will be keeping an eye on this guy.