Indie-folk singer and guitarist José González has returned with a new stand-alone single entitled “El Invento” which was released on Thursday–six years to the day since his last album Vestiges & Claws arrived in 2015.
The music on the recording sticks pretty close to González’s trademark softer style of playing, which is rich with subtle melodies and gentle fingerpicking to make for a tranquil listening experience.
The new single also notably marks the Swedish musician’s first-ever record featuring lyrics sung entirely in Spanish (his parents are Argentinian). González credits his daughter for his ability to finally begin writing songs in Spanish, as he notes in a statement with the song’s arrival,
Every now and then I try to write lyrics in Spanish — this time I succeeded! I guess talking to Laura in Spanish every day helped. I started writing “El Invento” around 2017 when she was born. The song is about the questions — who we are, where we’re going and why? Whom can we thank for our existence? Historically, most traditions have invented answers to these questions. Thereof the name of the song: The Invention (god).
Related: NPR Celebrates 9:30 Club 40th Anniversary With Release Of Over 100 Live Performances
Listen to the new single via its official video below, which also features lyric subtitles in both Spanish and English.
José González – El Invento
[Video: José González]
[H/T Stereogum]