Album Review: Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz

Los Angeles’s Spanish Love Songs will release their new album, Schmaltz, on the 30th March 2018 via A-F Records in the US, and Uncle M Records in Europe and the UK, the album follows on from their 2015 debut Giant Sings The Blues, and their recently released EP, Buffalo Buffalo. On first listen Schmaltz is a very different beast to their debut album, the raw quality that defined their previous full length has been smoothed out to create a sophomore album that offers something different to their earlier material, but by the end of the second spin of the album it becomes apparent that Schmaltz also seems strangely familiar.

From the subdued beginning to Neuvo this is a release that slowly builds up, Spanish Love Songs shift smoothly through the gears until they ease you back out with the melancholy closer, Aloha To No One. Schmaltz is an album that captures a far more anthemic quality than their debut full length. The band confidently deliver the eleven tracks that populate the album, and what becomes apparent is that the songs are searching for something in an unforgiving and unfriendly world that leaves many alienated. The end result is that Schmaltz very much comes across as an album that posesses a positive and hopeful feel that contains eleven anthems for the outsider.

Schmaltz is new territory for the band of grouch punks, with Schmaltz it seems that Spanish Love Songs have wedged themselves comfortably between the melodic emo feel of Jimmy Eats World, the gruff punk charms of Off With Their Heads and the best anthemic qualities of The Gaslight Anthem, whilst managing to keep the essence from their raw debut album, this might sound like an impossible balancing act but its one that Spanish Love Songs have pulled off to impressive effect. The eleven tracks work seamlessly together and Schmaltz is one of those rare albums that has no place on shuffle, I defy you not to find yourself listening to the whole thing once you’ve dropped the needle or hit play.

Pre-orders for Schmaltz are now available here (US) and here (Europe)

The Spanish Love Songs website can be found here and their Bandcamp is here