Released

Carcáscara are an intriguing trio from Basque Country, Spain, of Iñigo Ugarteburu, Fernando Aguirre and Xabier Iriondo, all on classical guitar, though on 2 they do sketch in details with other instruments: harmonium, bells, marimba, ukuleles, etc. The threading and weaving of nylon guitar strings here might make you think of a kind of folksiness – that’s definitely there, though it often feels quite sublimated, placed in service of minimalist patterning, as on the opening “Makila Da Eroa”, which spins around a small clutch of chords like school children around the maypole. The intensive repetitions of “Laboa Grúas y Andamiaje” are like a flicker-film for the ears; “Ciervo, Burro, Txitxarro” reminds a little of the gentle, acoustic post-rock of Tape.

Jon Dale