The music of Rodrigo y Gabriela has always been universal, teetering between global prowess and small-town tendencies while staying staunchly unfazed by it all. For two decades, the duo has been releasing consistently mesmerizing arrangements that are birthed out of curiosity about the unknown and their tireless dedication to reimagining what is possible with an acoustic guitar. Their influences are endless and they find ways to blend them all together to achieve their larger-than-life sound that has transcended time.
While Rodrigo y Gabriela has proven themselves time and time again, their latest effort has the band hungrier than ever for a new direction. In Between Thoughts…A New World is the globetrotting new LP from the guitar duo and features a collection of songs that can only be described as diversely and cosmically beautiful. While the album only features 9 songs, it plays at a much larger scale as the duo attempts to find themselves while still expanding their sound to new territories that play on spiritualism as much as it does their raw talent.
Some releases feel the need to be over-analyzed, using complex tricks in order to achieve otherworldly sonics. In the case of In Between Thoughts…A New World, dense textures are achieved with just enough glitz and glamor to leave you awe-struck while still coming off as organic and personable. Rodrigo y Gabriela struck a unique balance on their newest LP, the band found this unexplored middle ground of dominating melodies that interact to create a strong case for their name to be synonymous with the idea of generational talent. The musicianship of the pair themselves is enough to bring this album to life, the dueling guitars of the pair shine brighter than ever even in these restless arrangements.
A song like “Seeking Unreality” has a sweeping string section that gives the track an orchestral feeling and even that isn’t enough to take the spotlight away from the pair’s lightning quick finger plucking and ability to achieve such complex textures with so little. Their talents are obvious but never come off as braggadocious, allowing In Between Thoughts to showcase improvements from the highly publicized 2019 album, Metttavolution while seeming humble and curious. Rodrigo y Gabriela have never cowered away from the challenge of funneling their influence and experiences into one solid format but on this new album, they took their traditional style of doing so and implemented a sense of urgency that gives the album a certain zestfulness that is infectious.
According to the band, the album is largely inspired by Advaita Vedanta, a Hindu philosophy rooted in the concept of nondualism that suggests that once achieved, our true self is identical to the omnipotent cosmic spirit of the religion that is deemed too powerful to be described in human language. The idea of a higher power being within us plays a large role in the sonic identity of In Between Thoughts, the arrangements are borderless and confident while still having the ability to tap into worldly emotions. With song titles like “Ride Of The Mind” and the aforementioned “Seeking Unreality”, the spiritual essence of the album is clear although it goes much deeper than the surface. The structure of these songs plays a bigger role than ever before, weaving in and out of different tempos and moods that evoke the volatile emotions of self-discovery. The process of achieving this higher level of self can be frustrating (“Broken Rage”), illuminating, (“Egoland ”), and ultimately pull you in a million different directions at once with no time to reflect. The duo uses the astral projecting necessary to reach their goal to guide their guitars through emotions that switch on a dime. What makes In Between Thoughts so special is its ability to encapsulate this experience while still being strongly consistent and connected to the central idea of the Hindu practice.
In Between Thoughts…A New World The album sees the duo reinventing themselves once again by implementing moments of intimacy into the grandiose production. Over the course of nine tracks, the band frantically searches for solace via uptempo acoustic plucking that is joined by dense arrangements that play more like a star-studded action film rather than another terrific release from the duo. While they search for answers beyond our universe, they provide us with a soundtrack that brings us along on their spiritual journey with the perfect balance of god-like musicianship and humanizing experiences.
