Nick Mitchell Maiato – Náquera LP

Some artists follow all those basic rules imposed by tastemakers, social media, and streaming platforms, while others follow their instincts, delivering music that comes straight from the heart and engages all the senses. Nick Mitchell Maiato definitely belongs to the list of remarkable singer-songwriters who are more interested in pushing particular genres into uncharted territories than delivering the same old tunes. His music certainly carries that sweet touch of nostalgia that evokes some of the best years for rock music, but he also infuses so many styles at once, always sounding fresh, genuine, and unpredictable. With “Náquera,” his second full-length album as Nick Mitchell Maiato, the artist explores many facets of rock music by skillfully, expertly, and beautifully infusing them into each segment of every song. You’ll stumble upon only the finest properties borrowed from Americana roots rock, classic rock, country rock, psych rock, Americana, art rock, and many other similar subgenres, stacked and combined together so thoughtfully. The sheer amount and presence of these styles depends of song’s mood and atmosphere, so Nick Mitchell Maiato coined cosmic American music as an appropriate way to describe his sound, which is more than accurate. These compositions sound so lush, otherworldly, extravagant, and captivating, immediately transporting listeners to a completely different reality with each vocal, sonic, and rhyhtmic maneuver. It’s certainly an album you should put on your music radar.

Across eight incredible compositions, Nick Mitchell Maiato, his accompanying band, and guest vocalists deliver some of the finest music modern rock has seen in decades. It has been a while since any artist or band has crafted an album where each song encompasses everything rock, country, and Americana stands for, and Nick Mitchell Maiato has done it with such precision and finesse, rarely heard or seen on the music scene nowadays. This epic sonic journey commences with “Two Right Feet,” a brilliant introduction to what you might expect from this material. It levitates somewhere between good old American roots rock sound and jangly, angular guitar work à la mid-seventies Television style. But “Critical Mass” immediately transports you into a more psych-oriented, seventies-drenched rock odyssey, which perfectly explains Nick Mitchell Maiato’s cosmic American music term. It’s one of those songs where lush piano performance collides with reverby, subtly distorted guitar work, all while the rhythm section brings more warmth, depth, groove, and dynamics through perfect low-end and well-accentuated beats. Nick Mitchell Maiato’s voice spices things up by delivering a soulful, emotive, passionate performance that elevates everything to new heights. “Los Serranos” exemplifies how true sounds of Americana perfectly pair with luxuriant rock orchestrations. You’ll hear how the brass section, keys, and catchy guitar themes work together in harmony, delivering one of the finest instrumental tunes you’ll hear in a while. By now, you’ll realize Nick Mitchell Maiato is all about delivering those soulful, hearty, lush songs where each note and beat hits you right in the chest, and “Riki Rachtman” proves his dedication to the craft. Here, the artist blends only the fundamental elements of Americana, country, folk, and rock together. His excellent vocal performance guides you through every segment while balancing all those low, mid, and high notes with precision and finesse. In the meantime, the intricate, warm, vividly hearable basslines pair with reverb, jangly, memorable guitar maneuvers, and delicate piano acrobatics. The drummer keeps everything together through steady beats, fills, and accents, providing more than necessary groove and pace.

“The Angle” commences with a beautiful guitar theme, but the band quickly expands their sonic vocabulary by infusing more accentuating brass orchestrations and perfectly executed piano chord progressions. You’ll also notice how tastefully distorted the rhythm guitar is, bringing almost funky chord progressions beneath all mentioned orchestrations. It’s nearly mind-blowing how all these layers articulate together without spoiling each other, proving that Nick Mitchell Maiato and his band thought about everything while writing, composing, arranging, and producing this masterpiece. “Flamebait” brings more blues rock to the table, but performed in Nick Mitchell Maiato’s unique style. This song almost immediately goes into more luxuriant, complex, captivating direction, as the entire band delivers one of the finest vocal, sonic, and rhythmic performances on this album. Each instrument has its place and purpose here, bringing blues rock to a completely different, rarely heard or seen level. “Crosshairs” is a short but sweet rock ballad that brings calm, soothing, relaxing interplays between piano and brass section to the table, while the intricate beats and warm basslines keep everything together. It’s one of those songs that signifies that albums gradually come to an end. This epic sonic journey closes with “The First P.o.W.,” a brilliant closing song that further showcases Nick Mitchell Maiato’s songwriting and composing abilities. With its slow pace and powerful groove, catchy, memorable, engaging chord progressions delivered on guitars and beautiful piano leads, and so many sections where the band demonstrates sheer experience, knowledge, talent, creativity, and ideas, this song immediately forces you to spin this marvelous album all over again. “Náquera” is an enchanting excursion to uncharted musical territories, crafted by one of the finest contemporary musicians. With each composition, Nick Mitchell Maiato drags you even deeper into his luxuriant sonic universe, where each vocal, sonic, and rhyhtmic acrobatic has its profound meaning. If you are looking for soulful, passionate, emotional, complex, captivating music, look no further, because “Náquera” carries everything you ever desired.