Music Reviews

A Level History taught me many things. Chiefly, that you could always spot a Habsburg by his enormous chin, and that one of the most important jobs in England during the Middle Ages was to accompany the monarch on his visits to the smallest room.

Conquistadors

Another factoid that I acquired back then was that the Spanish spent much of the sixteenth century sending out people to relieve the Aztecs and the Incas of their land.

History lessons

These kindly souls tore through the Americas massacring anyone who got in their way in the name of civilisation. They were called the Conquistadors and a more delightful bunch of people it would be impossible to meet (probably because the Conquistadors would have killed them first).

What the history books did not tell me was that centuries later, the name of these adventurers/anti-heroes would be taken by four lads from Birmingham who play some of the most exciting music ever to come out of a guitar.

Conquistadors

Sweet dreams are made of Conquistadors

Conquistadors are a reviewer's dream and nightmare rolled into one: nightmare because their music is impossible to pigeon hole as purely "indie", "prog rock" or "new wave"; and a dream for exactly the same reason.

In the space of a single song such as "Ave Maria", the style sweeps from a Spanish influenced instrumental introduction through to Ska-ish sounds and Prog-Rock meanderings.

Similarly their other songs mash genres together with careless abandon. "The British Are Coming" mixes Lo-Fi indie with early eighties New Wave, all held together with rhythms more commonly associated with the music of Mali.

Conquistadors

In the mix

To say that Conquistadors are eclectic is to do them a disservice. Their melding of musical ideas puts them in an impressive league of their own. They are unlike anything ever heard before.

While the lyrics are largely unintelligible, and those that are audible are largely undecipherable ("Oh when the time goes/There's no happy accidents" - anyone?) this should not put you off.

Conquistadors' music transcends lyrical content. And who needs words when you've got the panoramic glory of "Ave Maria"?

Conquistadors

Words

Nevertheless, (vaguely) comprehendible lyrics can be found in places. The relentless verbal onslaught that is "DCD" features such gems as "Tear your eyes away or I'll oblige/and I'll show no remorse." Well, quite.

Conquistadors pride themselves on their musical diversity. Their MySpace page boasts of each song sounding different from the last to "accommodate all of our influences". And it is a boast of which they should be proud. It may be the first case of a band getting together over musical differences.

Here's to more of the same differences. Much more.