The name Inezona evokes the bone-dry state of Arizona – a desert of head-high cacti under a bright sun. It also speaks of a melting pot of US and Mexican cultural influences. Arizona is home to country, Americana and roots music on the one hand, and mariachi on the other. Where English and Spanish vocals intertwine, often in the same song.
It is in this part of the world, or the city of Tucson to be precise, that Ines Brodbeck has spent a lot of time in recent years. The singer from Basel has taken considerable inspiration from her adopted home and made recordings with musicians from Tucson. Her style is reminiscent of internationally acclaimed act Calexico. This is no coincidence, given that her musical partner, guitarist and producer Gabriel Sullivan, has played in said band, as have other members of her ensemble.
Brodbeck’s love of Arizona also shines through in her latest album “A Self Portrait” – a work of both tender and mystical beauty. Guitars, banjos and ukuleles reverberate, along with percussive elements that include kitchen utensils.
The LP is a harmonious, authentic marriage of Arizona and central Europe, representing the world in which the singer feels most at ease. Brodbeck opens the door to Inezona and lets us in. But she has no stories to tell this time. This a departure from previous efforts. “A Self Portrait” is a purely instrumental record without words, which Brodbeck – also for the first time – recorded single-handedly at home in Switzerland. The 39 minutes of playing time feature only minimal voices. Vocals rather than singing as such, they add an extra dash of colour to ten compositions that speak for themselves – acoustic expressions of longing, remembrance and hope. The music exudes an intuitive, intimate, almost cinematic urgency.
In keeping with the Arizonan spirit, “A Self Portrait” has no need of words.
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