ALBUM REVIEW: Rodrigo y Gabriela – OurHome

ATO Records

Released: 18.09.26

Image by Enrique Leyva

Rodrigo y Gabriela have made their name over the past two decades as perhaps the most electrifying acoustic act there is. Originating from Mexico, the duo formed through their mutual love of heavy metal before trading in their axes for flamenco guitars. Defined by the interaction between Rodrigo Sánchez’s intricate lead lines and Gabriela Quintero’s blistering barrages of percussive rhythm guitar (her playing performing what two respectable musicians otherwise usually might), the pair have released a series of acclaimed albums, always experimenting and expanding on the solid rock that forms their core.

OurHome continues in the progressive, introspective direction of its two immediate predecessors (2019’s Grammy-winning Mettavolution, which featured an astonishing instrumental cover of Pink Floyd’s epic Echoes, and 2023’s In Between Thoughts… A New World), although with a marked return to acoustic instrumentation. Opening with its intimate, delicate title track, named after the message spray-painted on the side of a tower block in Melbourne seen on the album’s cover, Rodrigo y Gabriela are accompanied by cellist Hiyori Okuda, adding a luscious texture to a touching tribute to their cat, Pelusa.

The album’s greatest departure comes with its second track, Somos Como Tú (We Are Like You), which marks the duo’s first song to feature lyrics. Sung both by Sánchez and Quintero (alongside chanting provided by fans), the song was written over a decade previously by the former as he contemplated migration and common humanity across borders. The pair struggled, however, to produce a recording which felt authentic, leading to the track being shelved until the recording of OurHome. Whilst the song stands out amongst Rodrigo y Gabriela’s otherwise exclusively instrumental discography, its presence on the album is not jarring, and demonstrates that the duo are unwilling to confine themselves to what has earned them renown.

Much of the record, however, is Rodrigo y Gabriela doing what they do best: meticulous compositions evocative of grand adventure inspiriting the listener’s mind to run free. Having been recorded in Tokyo, the album is in parts influenced by Japan, featuring guitarist Yukihiro Atsumi, who specialises in performing in the style of music from the Edo period, and jazz pianist Hiromi – whose somewhat percussive style Quintero praisefully compares to her own. Additionally, two tracks are inspired by manga series, including the winding Akatsuki (representing the underlying themes of Buddhist cosmology in the manga Naruto) and the foreboding Monster, named after the psychological thriller series.

The album culminates in a hypnotic, eleven-minute epic entitled Simurgh, after the phoenix-like mythical bird of Persian legend. It features former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, who delivers a soulful distorted lead line, leaving an opening for the solemn cello of Hiyori Okuda to be introduced once more before Friedman returns, weaving a slide guitar line into the song as it climbs to its acme. In all, Simurgh is a masterclass in elegance and storytelling without words, something that Rodrigo y Gabriela have been perfecting since their days busking around Temple Bar nearly thirty years ago.

Following a North American tour later this year, the duo will be embarking on an expansive world tour in early 2027, including March dates in Glasgow and Manchester.