RECOMMENDED
Half-Swedish, half-Argentine singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez—who was an intriguing choice as a performer at this year’s Intonation Festival—softly dances on his nylon-strings with the ease of Nick Drake, but also with his beautiful and lovely self-doubt. “Veneer,” Gonzalez’s remarkable record from earlier this year, doesn’t let up—his hypnotic and warm finger-picking diligently swirls around your head until only a cloudy mess remains. His gentle vocal delivery tricks you at first, until you realize just how powerful he is, a brooding force under the thin, well, veneer. His cover of Swedish duo The Knife’s “Heartbeats” is gorgeous in its simplicity and cinematic charm—this song could soundtrack a doomed relationship, a love finally realized or one lost forever. What a vision he has, what a talent. (Tom Lynch)
September 9 at Park West.
