The easy thing would be to say that .bd. They are the Spanish Black Country, New Road, but with only one EP on platforms the possibilities are too wide. Yes, they are a sextet, and clearly the British band is among their main influences, but .bd. They also carry in their music the heritage of all the national indie rock that has come before.
The history of the Madrid group, which from the Humo Internacional label they say “emerged from the meadows that separate the south of the Community of Madrid from the La Mancha steppe”, began in 2022, when they were still minors, with the publication of the EP ‘salas/pasos/perdidos’. This is no longer available on platforms (it is on Bandcamp), but that is where the germ of the best song from their new project is, ‘Vamos Roto los Espejos’. It’s the Song of the Day.
‘We Have Roto Los Espejos’ was originally composed and recorded four years ago and has mutated over time towards what we can hear today on the ‘Economato Textil’ EP. At the same time, it defines the soul of a group that, yes, has a clear inclination towards the post-rock of artists like Geordie Greep or Geese, but also a great facility for converting that into melancholic pop. Remnants of the original 4×4 compass, which has now changed to a 6×8.
Produced by Lucas Sierra (La Paloma) and Fran Bassi (Baywaves), like the rest of the EP, ‘Vamos Roto los Espejos’ is a beautiful piece of art-rock that in another universe could have been written by groups like shego or Cariño, but by the hand of .bd. takes on a much more nostalgic tone. “What do I have to do when you’re not here / To feel like you’re here,” sings vocalist Marta Fernández. There is also a nod to his beginnings in shoegaze towards the end of the song.
.bd. They will soon be playing at Sala 16 Toneladas in Valencia (October 11), Sala Maravillas in Madrid (November 8) and at Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
