Album Review: boy pablo - 'Wachito Rico'
Boy Pablo emerged in 2017 with an off-kilter piece of bedroom pop that almost instantly secured his career in the world of cleverly produced, witty indie. Three years on, his debut Wachito Rico is every bit as charming as you’d expect, with a little added polish and fizz.
A cascade of shimmering synths and trills introduces opener ‘i hope she loves me back’ and in many senses sets the tone for the album - sonically eclectic, pleasingly stylised and apparently effortless. It is only in odd moments that listeners might catch a glimpse of the razor sharp craftsman at work, where no opportunity for nuance and creative flourishes is lost. It makes for an exceptionally rewarding pop listening experience. ‘hey girl’, with its Tame Impala bounce and joyous harmonies also contains the kind of musical dexterity, unabashed kitch and wit you’d expect from Mac DeMarco.
Alongside the bouncing clever-pop are moments of easy intimacy. ‘te vas // don’t go’ recalls the bedroom origins of a very able singer-producer, peppered with a prettily warped Beach Boys-esque counter melody. The album’s other quieter moments also echo Boy Pablo’s Chilean heritage - ‘honey’s sun drenched outro, the teasing interlude ‘vamos a la playa’ and the light, melodic ‘nowadays’ - all add a particular laid-back, multi-textured warmth to the record.
The final track ‘i <3 u’ - slightly more minimal and soulful - is a highlight, particularly for its understated and blissful chorus. Ending with an easy ‘yeah’, the final lyric encapsulates the album’s charm, like a friendly wink. It’s another reminder of Boy Pablo’s credentials as a songwriter - possessed of an unselfconscious ability to talk about love and relationships with refreshingly simplicity.
Sonically Wachito Rico is a rich tapestry. Bursts of ultra-80s percussion; synths, trills and swells in the best style of the decade’s pop; panned funk guitars; glam, harmonised lead lines and disco pulses - the excited execution of so many styles is an expert work of maximalism.
It seems unusual to release such a fizzy, sunny album in winter, but as the album plays on, you feel grateful it was. In very serious times, Wachito Rico is a bright splash of colour and a friendly wave in your direction.
Words by Lucy Sheehan