Guillem Gisbert carries forward the spirit of Manel while stepping into a more defined solo voice with an album that nods to past identity yet forges new ground. It preserves the core energy of that Catalan band’s invention but moves beyond it, delivering an unmistakable authorial stamp that remains faithful to storytelling through song. The collection marks a deliberate evolution, not a revolution, and it speaks with a maturity that feels earned rather than announced.
Early previews from last autumn, including Les dues torres and Waltzing Matilda, framed the record as a conversation between intricate narratives and inventive sound design. The music embraced fragmentation, suspense, and a restrained arrangement that can subtly reshape the sonic landscape. It is easy to picture Gisbert savoring the endless spectrum of possibilities available when building a song, where the touch of synthesizer, the shift in beat, or a dramatic pause can illuminate and elevate a single line of verse. The lyrics remain central, and Balla la masurca! embodies a refined balance between the melodic classicism of a singer-songwriter and an exploration of contemporary sonic solutions.
Gisbert conveys a palpable enthusiasm for telling stories with layers of meaning and emotion, guided by a producer team that encourages adventure. The songs rest on solid melodic foundations, typically slow-tempo and tempered by a measured electronic sensibility; pieces like Cantiga de Montse, Hauries hagut de venir, and Miracle a les Planes demonstrate this approach. The titular track, with its reflective undertow about what audiences expect from an artist and vice versa, anchors the record’s thoughtful mood.
Of course, these compositions could stand on their own with voice and guitar or piano, yet Gisbert elevates them by giving them a defined texture—sliding layers of synth, a voice that seems subtly robotic at times, and subtle electronic interference. In Els gegants de la ciutat, for example, the blend of narrative and visual imagination creates a sense of spectacle that culminates in a dramatic, almost cinematic confrontation. The experiment extends to storytelling itself, weaving gigantism and the invention of a nonexistent painting in a bourgeois salon, ending in a moment of cultural clash.
Humor also threads through the album, from the ambitious title to tales like Les aventures del general Lluna. That piece, a deliberately long-drawn Dylan-esque voyage shared with members of La Ludwig Band, reimagines the Mayflower colonists as Catalans, translating a historical trope into intimate, modern storytelling. These storytelling choices make the record feel rich with emotion and surprise, elevating it beyond simple pop into a mature, artistically confident form.
The overall effect is a collection that feels both intimate and expansive, a pop album that remains proudly adult in its ambitions. Gisbert’s craft lies in marrying evocative lyrics with inventive soundscapes, inviting listeners to listen closely as stories unfold and sounds evolve. The result is a work that resists quick consumption while rewarding repeated listening, offering new details and textures with each return.
Cited influences shimmer beneath the surface, lending a sense that the artist is actively negotiating lineage and evolution. The approach respects traditional singer-songwriter poetics while inviting modern production techniques to reshape the emotional contour of each piece. The balance is delicate but clear: melody anchors the songs, but the arrangements push outward, creating space for reflection and discovery.
In sum, Balla la masurca! presents Gisbert as a mature, inventive songwriter who remains deeply engaged with storytelling. The album demonstrates that creative risk can coexist with emotional clarity, and that a well-placed electronic texture can complement a lyric without overpowering it. Audience and artist alike are invited to participate in a dialogue about expectation and experience, a conversation that continues across the records Gisbert makes. [Source: press materials and artist statements]