Unbelievably, it’s been six years since we heard any new music from José González, but his having had a child, Laura, in 2017 probably has a lot to do with that. He returns today with “El Invento”, which, also unbelievably, is his first ever song in Spanish, and it turns out his daughter probably had something to do with that too. José says:
“Every now and then I try to write lyrics in Spanish – this time I succeeded! I guess talking to Laura in Spanish every day helped. I started writing ‘El Invento’ around 2017 when she was born. The song is about the questions – who we are, where we’re going and why? Whom can we thank for our existence? Historically, most traditions have invented answers to these questions. Thereof the name of the song: The Invention (god).”
It’s natural that becoming a parent will provoke these kinds of large ‘what is life’ questions, but few could channel it into something as beautiful as José does on “El Invento”. While the current state of the world could easily lead the mind to some nihilistic or fearsome places in an attempt to grapple with existence, José goes the other way, finding hope and beauty in the unknowing. “El Invento” plays out in classic José style, his rich voice multi-tracked and echoing over his studious acoustic, but these simple ingredients are enough to captivate, and to conjure an image of the singer gazing into his young child’s eyes as he gently interrogates life.
Listen to “El Invento” on streaming platforms or watch the video directed by by Mikel Cee Karlsson below.
“El Invento” is out today, and it’s his first for City Slang. With more hopefully coming soon from José González, make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
