I had never heard of Secret Society or its Spanish label, Acurela, when I selected the CD for my reviews this month, and had it not been for this encounter I probably never would have discovered this music, it’s just something that falls so far outside of my own realm. And I have to say, that’s a very disheartening thought; that I could have gone on, possibly forever, living my life without even knowing about Secret Society truly saddens me.
So now that we are highlighting Secret Society for you, putting it on the radar for Left Hip readers, please do yourself a favor and buy this CD. This is simple, beautiful, clever music that you really don’t come across too often anymore.
Secret Society is essentially a vehicle for Pepo Márquez’s extraordinary musical talents. Although Márquez has released three EPs, Sad Boys Dance When No One’s Watching is his first full-length effort. Drawing on the singer-songwriter tradition of the 1970s, most songs on the album are just Márquez and his guitar, singing about love, betrayal, politics — anything that inspires him. One almost gets the feeling that Márquez has opened his diary for us, the music is really that personal.
While listening, I found myself magically transported to some unknown destination in Spain sitting on a floor in some loft type space, crossed legged, listening to Márquez play his acoustic guitar and sing about his heartbreak. In my fantasy this was the real version, not some MTV unplugged bastardization of the intimacy of music. There is nothing pretentious about Márquez. His music feels very personal and real and creates the feeling of a group of friends sitting around listening to incredible music.
Nostalgia and sentimentality are the constant themes throughout the album, but with an ironic twist. Although Márquez may appear to be looking back to a simpler time, he understands the problems associated with personal memory and seems to suggest that our memories are at times unreliable, that life was never as simple as how we choose to remember it. Not only is this music pleasant and interesting, it is smart and the lyrics make you think.
“Fight Fire With Fire” is a political tune, but it avoids being either cheesy or preachy. Márquez combines sincerity with vulnerability in a way that really draws the listener in.
“Moving Units” is a lo-fi masterpiece; it is slow, heartfelt, and beautiful. The opening of “City Lights” is enthralling, it has an old world quality to it and the musicianship is amazing.
Márquez speeds things up with “La Leyenda Del Tiempo,” one of two Spanish language songs on the album. The female vocalist on this track is also a welcome addition.
The way I felt when I first listened to Sad Boys Dance When No One’s Watching is similar to how I felt when I first heard Bright Eyes or Elliott Smith: it was an instant attraction. For the first time in a while I felt inspired by something. In a world where everything seems contrived and fake, especially in the music industry, Pepo Márquez has somehow found a way to keep it real.
