Nosotrash - Mi Vida en un Fin de Semana

TRACKLIST: 01. Chico escaparate 02. Rara sensación 03. Entertainment 04. Hacia el sur 05. El enemigo en casa 06. Reincidentes 07. Maldito espejo 08. Pijama para dos 09. Si es que hay suerte 10. Montaña rusa 11. Caperucita 12. Gato al sol

NOSOTRÄSH is a band formed by five Spanish girls: Natalia (vocals), Montse (bass and backing vocals), Beatriz (guitar and backing vocals), Malela (guitar and backing vocals) and Cova (drums). They started with the band in 1994. With the exception of Cova (who had been the drummer of PENELOPE TRIP) none of them had been in bands before. The name of the band is a funny pun that blends the English word “trash” with the Spanish feminine plural pronoun “nosotras”.

After winning the battle of the bands organized by Rock de Lux magazine they sign for RCA Spain in 1995. They release several singles, including a smash hit in Spain: “Voy a aterrizar”, that makes NOSOTRÄSH one of the most popular Spanish bands of the year. Their debut album finally comes out in 1998: “Nadie hablará de... Nosoträsh”. A superb collection of pop songs in which the vocals and the lyrics are the strongest elements. The album was exceptionally well received by press and fans in Spain: Rock de Lux magazine chooses it as one of the best Spanish pop albums in the decade, and it also makes album of the year for radio show “Viaje a los sueños polares”. All this is achieved thanks to pop hits like “Mis muñecas” or the aforementioned “Voy a aterrizar”. The freshness and naïvety of their songs is a very strong inspiration for a whole generation of new Spanish bands.

In 1999 NOSOTRÄSH sign for Elefant Records. At the end of that year a new single comes out, featuring four brand new songs, in which only the title track -“Hacia el sur”- is included in this new album as well. The title of this album means “My life in a weekend”, referring to the internal functioning of the band, as their jobs and the geographical distance only allows them to get together and play on weekends.

This new album by NOSOTRÄSH is produced by Ian Catt, who had worked previously with the likes of  ST ETIENNE, FIELD MICE, BRIAN, TREMBLING BLUE STARS, PIZZICATO 5, REPUBLICA, COMBUSTIBLE EDISON, SHAMPOO, THE BOO RADLEYS, Tim Burgess (CHARLATANS), OVAL, ANOTHER SUNNY DAY... Sarah Cracknell and French hitmaker Etienne Daho. Ian has managed to make NOSOTRÄSH’ new songs as clear and transparent as possible: every slight little detail is perfectly audible, making this record very enjoyable from the very first listening. Just listen to the outstanding vocal parts of the first cut, “Chico escaparate” -“Shop window boy”-: that’s more than enough to surrender to the production work, and of course to the band’s charm, which is closer and closer to pop perfection.

The Spanish lyrics are quite remarkable as well. NOSOTRÄSH’ music is sweet, naïve, soft easy-listening pop. But most of the times the words are not that easy: in “Caperucita” we have a pretty singular rewriting of the “Little Red Scarf” tale, where the little girl collects body parts of her old lovers in crystal jars to eats them up or put them to better uses: “as I’m very good at sewing, I’m gonna make a tablecloth with your skin”; then the chorus goes “love is so sweet and brief: it starts in August and ends in October”.

On the other hand, the musically diaphanous “El enemigo en casa” (“The enemy at home”) hides a gloomy social comment on the sadly current issue of home ill-treatment to women: “I’ve got the enemy at home, he sleeps by my side; I fall asleep to escape from him, as he hasn’t managed to get into my dreams so far”. Though in other songs NOSOTRÄSH show themselves as charming and sweet as the music suggests; but always with cheekiness and good humour enough to avoid the “naïve” tag, like in “Si es que hay suerte” - “If I’m lucky enough”-, a song about a girl who decides to leave her partner and start a new life: “If I’m lucky enough, you will watch me on tv as the weather girl, saying it’s raining in your town”.

There are some interesting contributors in the album: not only Ian Catt himself, who plays some guitars, moogs and additional keyboards, but also Guiller Momonje (from Elefant band PATRULLERO MANCUSO) which plays harmonica in the frenzy “Montaña Rusa” (“Rollercoaster”), Silvia Raposo (which has worked with Spanish bands like LA BUENA VIDA or PAULINE EN LA PLAYA) plays cello in “Chico escaparate”, “Entertainment” (one of the highlights of the album, with its programmed beat and its bubbling melody), plus the track that closes the album in a whispering, moody way: “Gato al sol” (“Cat under the sun”).

But no doubt all the praising must go to the five NOSOTRÄSH girls, which have go through the trial of making that “difficult second album”, and came out victoriously with an excellent pop record, showing up they are first class composers and performers. They have written a smashing catalogue of sound sensations, songs full of smiles and tears from of the best bands around. An album specially designed to bring happiness to everyone that listens to it.