Raúl Pastor Medall didn’t grow up in Oregon. In fact, until recently, the Spanish singer—who records under the name Rauelsson—lived full-time in his native homeland. But the sounds of the Pacific Northwest, and Hush Records in particular, are all over Rauelsson’s latest, the gorgeous and very winter-y “Debutantes.”

Rauelsson recorded the core of his new record—everything but the vocals, really—at Type Foundry studios in the fall/winter last year with the help of friends and producers Adam Selzer and Dave Depper (Norfolk & Western), and you can hear the seasonal touch. La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha is a mostly acoustic album, and “Debutantes” even forgoes percussion (except for a little sleigh bells in the background) for atmosphere. The light touch, then, is supplied by Rauelsson’s expansive voice, one that’s so pretty that you don’t really care that he’s singing in a foreign language.

And how’s this for lore: Rauelsson retreated back to Spain to concentrate on his lyrics and record his vocals in an ancient stone-walled house in the Mediterranean countryside. Supposedly the the natural reverb seeped its way into the recordings, but maybe he just needed some solitary confinement to hit on something so wonderful. It’s his bold and fluttering voice that propels “Debutantes,” and, at least on this track, it reminds me of Sigur Ros singer Jónsi Birgisson. Not bad for someone who just moved to town.

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Download “Debutantes”

Links:
RauelssonSpace
Hush Records

Photo courtesy of Rauelsson

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