Horacio Bort – Cometa H (2020)
Horacio Bort capture the full spectrum of human emotion in their EP Cometa H. Through the 5 tracks they fill you with the nervousness of a first date, the despair of thinking you will never reach your dreams and disconnection from those you love. As they wash you with emotion, the band leads you to something brighter and infinitely better. If you are looking for an EP that you can sit back and listen to with a cup of tea, this is the one you want.
The easy yet emotive listening experience comes from Horacio Bort (vocals, guitar), Noah John Young (guitar). Honor Witke (bass, vocals) and German Rubio (drums). Bort and Young met in 2018 and started working on this debut EP. By 2020, the rest of the band joined and by the end of the year, the EP was out for everyone to hear.
The opening track ‘Sol’ slowly draws you into the sound with a musical line that progressively gets louder. The acoustic guitar is so peaceful as it enters that it lets you just relax into the soundscape. Bort’s vocals are breathy and warm as they float over the guitar line. While the lyrics are in Spanish, there is a lovely flow to them that fills you with a relaxed vibe alongside a splash of melancholy. A peaceful start to the EP, ‘Sol’ has the band’s folk sounds sinking into your soul through the melody and those woeful strings in the background.
‘A Veces Canto’ has a livelier start as the percussion bounces against your ears. The bounce of the beats turns into a tumbling roll as they merge with the guitar. Bort’s vocals lose the breathiness of the opening track for a much smoother flow. The slide of his voice is a silken layer making its way through the easy grooves of the instrumentation. There are amazing movements in this track that make you want to sway and slide to the rhythm.
The sombre opening of ‘Joven’ sets the tone for this melancholic track. There is a listless feeling to the vocals that perfectly highlight the messaging of this track. The lyrics are Spanish, but they take a look at despair and feeling that you will never achieve your dreams. If you don’t understand Spanish, that is not a problem because this existential feeling of despair is woven into every note. The guitar that sighs in the background is almost mournful and the strings add a sense of melancholy.
‘Imagina’ has a fragile innocence to the music which is enhanced by the soulful call of the vocals. Bort has a touching vulnerability to his voice that swells with a heartbreaking yearning. This track looks at a disconnect with others and a longing for a world without division. This longing is clearly heard through the vocals which are so emotive that you can almost taste the heartwrenching yearning. The instrumentation adds to this as it floats around you like wisping tendrils of hazy days spent longing for something more.
The EP closes off with ‘Correr’ which offers a slightly lighter vibe than the rest of the EP. Bort’s vocals are an easy whisper against the acoustic guitar. There is a feeling of nervousness in his performance threaded around hope. The harmonisations on the chorus create a gentle swell to the emotions of the track as you are set adrift on waves of cotton soft melodics. The instrumentals at the end of the track continue the nervous energy but build with an expectation of good things to come.
Horacio Bort takes you through heartbreak, despair, hope and relaxation in the emotively beautiful Cometa H. The Spanish language EP is easy to listen to and washes you with emotions even if you don’t know the language. Through Bort’s vocals and the intricate tapestry of instrumentation, you float on a cloud of folk goodness.
Find out more about Horacio Bort on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
