After many successful singles its unsurprising that Boy Pablo has made some noise with his new debut release, with flavours from Latin America and references to Tom Selleck it's no less than expected from the 21 musician.
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Channeling humour, romance and nostalgic vibes all at once it’s impossible to not fall in love with Boy Pablo’s new release Wachito Rico.
Chilean-Norwegian indie-pop sensation Boy Pablo, or Nicolas Muñzo, is ready to re-introduce himself and his craft. Incorporating his Latin American roots and Chilean idioms, the album itself Wachito Rico (meaning handsome boy), is a whole world away from the sophomore 2015 EP Soy Pablo that catapulted the track ‘Everytime’ into the viral realm, making Pablo a household name amongst indie-pop enthusiasts. This album feels like the dawning of a new era; a fully realised cohesive aesthetic and a movie accompanying the record, this is Boy Pablo at his finest and for a debut album it’s certainly secured his space in the indie-pop genre.
The album takes off with a sunshiney hopeful love song, ‘i hope she loves me back’, which straight away delves into the crafted storyline of Muñzo’s title character ‘Wachito Rico’, and his utter disbelief at the physical beauty of the girl who is the focus of Wachito Rico‘s highs and lows throughout. Bedroom popish vibes may have been his signature sound at the time of his EP release but this record that gets the album of to an incredible start is an amalgamation of indie-pop and electric guitar riffs, that may seem misplaced in this genre. However, this undoubtedly proves that his sound and craft are now fully realised for what they are. Following on from the beginning track we have the lead single ‘hey girl’ that Pablo released back in May and was received with open arms, quickly being listed in the top five streamed on Spotify. This is very much a follow on of the narrative that applies anxieties to young love and the formation of a first love, which seems to be a deeply personal topic for the singer as the ‘hey girl, do you like me?’ painfully displays insecurities in the bleakest of ways. Many songs on the album seem to be groovy delicious jangle pop records but with lyrics that undermine and cut up this assumed joyful sound, yet the familiarity and warmth in Muñzo’s voice add the finishing touches.
It’s fun and mood boosting album to listen to, especially the title track that had me dancing to my hearts content with it at full volume undoubtedly annoying my neighbours, but hey it was totally worth it. The title track has beachy vibes (probably due to the previous track ‘vamos a la playa’ setting the scene) incorporated with the typical Boy Pablo sound that we’re now so accustomed to, this release will only engrave the style of music and make it an incredibly difficult track to forget. Being released in October, the title track oozes crazy beachy summer vibes and a helping of Spanish Chilean roots that add a little extra suavity to the record and solidify what Boy Pablo is really all about. The merging of two cultures, Chilean and Norwegian is at the forefront of the record;the Norwegian side plainly being where Muñzo learnt his craft (by 6 he had a drum kit and by 10 mastered the guitar). His Latin American culture, arguably being a more dominant theme, is something not seen before in this indie-pop genre, and shows a certain playfulness. Whilst Muñzo may be a serious, matured artist he’s proved he doesn’t take himself too seriously and is merely honing his craft for others to enjoy.
Aside from cultural references (and the longing for a Tom Sellick-esque moustache) there are some mellow songs in the collection, like intervals such as the charming ‘nowadays’. And the love sick beautiful ballad ‘i <3 you’ that had me all up in my feels (thanks Nicolas) and feeling some kinda way. These are the songs you listen to whilst sleepy in bed drifting off with fairy lights above you in pure ethereal fashion. Boy Pablo is creating a spicy fusion of two unlikely cultures and appealing to the masses in a way not many artists have before. He’s a songwriter that knows his craft and himself so deeply and intimately he’s able to take listeners from cloud 9, dancing around and screaming Spanish, to a warm fuzzy feeling that makes your hair stand on end. He connects with people easily through his music, with it’s universal themes and relatability, making him an artist to expect big things from.
Boy Pablo’s debut album, Wachito Rico is available now from 777music. Check out ‘hey girl’ now down below.
