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It may take a few listens before the record reveals itself as a relative cauldron of restrained emotion, but it's worth the effort.
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The singer's gentle vocals and Spanish-meets-classical guitar style make a quietly compelling match, especially so on his sophomore CD In Our Nature, easily the best work--either as a solo or contributing vocalist--that he has released to date.
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BlenderLike his debut, is a coffeehouse classical-guitar-and-voice affair long on tonal beauty but short on melody and emotion. [Sep 2007, p.126]
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Despite the fuller arrangements the whole package remains haunting: pristine on the surface with an uneasy core.
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It is rewarding that the album should end showing his passion displayed as a performer and shining through as a song-writer. The only problem is, with the rest of the album being so slight, it’s may be too easy for most to stop listening before they get to it.
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Minor gripes aside, however, Jose Gonzalez has crafted a fine album of rare beauty that seamlessly blends righteous indignation with delicate musical panache; a tough balancing act, to be sure, but one that negates the need of a safety net.
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The whole of In Our Nature benefits from the air and space around the songs. Rather than attempting to embellish his new album in an attempt to garner a wider audience, Gonzalez keeps to minimal pleasures that make his work an unfussy yet sophisticated joy.
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Gonzalez has wisely resisted the urge to bulk up his sound, and concentrated instead on seeing how far a guitar, his voice and a few continents worth of influences can carry him.
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In Our Nature is a compelling but not fascinating portrait of an artist at ease in his element.
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Gonzalez's debut disc, 2005's "Veneer," won over fans with its straightforward lack of production, and his sophomore effort, In Our Nature, does not stray far from the path.
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As it is now, decidedly un-personal, In Our Nature falls flat.
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MagnetGonzalez is a romantic at heart, given to an array of lyrical possibilities even as his music ripples with the taut simplicity of someone strumming alone in his bedroom. [Fall 2007, p.96]
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MojoHe's a master of umbral moods, and in this respect at least, In Our Nature is a worthy successor to the phenomenal "Veneer." [Oct 2007, p102]
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Jose Gonzalez may not be doing anything any differently, but he's also not doing very much wrong.
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This is a sparse, minimal and unassuming record that's unlikely to hit anyone over the head with its innovation, but Gonzalez accomplishes much while sounding like he's doing very little.
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In Our Nature’s fingerpicked reveries, sonic gentility and lugubrious vibe might tug at your eyelids, but be warned: Its heavy-hearted sentiments are hardly the stuff of dreams.
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Like its predecessor, In Our Nature is a collection of sparse acoustic recordings. But it's a more thoughtful and atmospheric work than either "Veneer" or last year's "Stay in the Shade" EP.
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'Time to Send Someone Away' has an expansive, Atmosphere-style hip hop background with held-out strings and a broken, chilled beat. This actually suits Gonzalez’s dreamy vocals while the hiccuping, minimal percussive sound that serves as accompaniment on In Our Nature feels emotionally thin in comparison.
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It's true that most of the attention Gonzalez received in the beginning was from songs other artists' wrote. The difference with Gonzalez is that he picks songs that fit his minimalist and whimsical approach--and he often makes them better than the originals.
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Q MagazineIt lacks the spark of greatness, although 'Cycling Trivialities' and 'Killing For Love' trundle along merrily. [Oct 2007, p.98]
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Gonzalez hasn't done much to snazz up his sound for his second album, In Our Nature, another mellow folk record that, at its best, sidesteps coffee-shop commonplaces.
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These songs are never less than lovely, but they're never really more than lovely either.
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SpinThis sophomore set from the Swedish acoustic troubadour is undeniably pretty but ultimately doesn't hint at much more. [Oct 2007, p.102]
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The album sounds simultaneously familiar, yet alien.
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In Our Nature is every bit as lovely as "Veneer," obscuring its darker moods in music as delicately bewitching as a morning mist.
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UncutThis meatier effort offers more of the same dog-eared melancholy. [Oct 2007, p.90]
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Under The RadarThere's no denying the power of Gonzalez, and the draw of his voice and guitar. But it's better heard in small doses, as over the course of an album his chosen sound feels limiting. [Summer 2007, p.73]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 14
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Mixed: 1 out of 14
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Negative: 0 out of 14
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Jun 18, 2023
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JasonJDec 6, 2007
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CzarNov 22, 2007Beautiful album, Down the line Teardrop really blew me away.