Music Review // Rodrigo y Gabriela "OurHome"

 

Just listening to this song by Rodrigo y Gabriela, you might think there was one acoustic guitar layered or perhaps somehow someone was just playing it in a very complicated way.  But when you watch this music video, you'll see both musicians in the studio recording the song, which gives a bit of insight into how it is made.  To hear chords just being strummed at one point, to fill it out, while the other acoustic guitar plays delicate and complex notes just kind of goes to show you what is put into this song musically and how difficult it is to play, since it takes two people on that same wave length.

While the in studio recording session of this music video is in color, there are times when the artists are out and about in Japan and that is in black and white.  The idea of this song being called "OurHome" I think represents the way that home is where you make it.  Home isn't always about a place on a map as much as it is a feeling, a sense of belonging.  Along with being out in Japan, I think this partly also shows that one of the ways in which musicians relate with home is being on the road or in the studio.   That is a very natural fit and somewhere which they definitely feel like they belong, and rightfully so.

Though this song is instrumental and comprised of mainly just the two acoustic guitars, it is interesting to listen to and think about how one guitar can be making the melody which can be that acoustic guitar form in a different song, but at the same time that other acoustic guitar is playing these notes which just sing and feel like they are where lyrics would be if this was someone singing and playing the guitar at the same time.    The way in which these guitars can act as vocals for this song is not something everyone can do and should be studied and appreciated more for its sheer talent.

When first listening to a song, I believe it's meant to get stuck in your head- that's why we would go back and listen to it again.   However with this song, I feel like people should go back and listen just to hear those guitar parts again and the way in which they are pulled off, which almost feels magical somehow.  At the same time, there are also guitar notes in here which act as vocals at times and so those parts might get stuck in your head the same way.  So to be able to go back to this song not only for the skill but for the way you can sing along without any lyrics just makes it that special.