Following on from the December release of “Cyclones”, Cuban-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Soft Glas, aka Joao Gonzalez, is back with “Prudence & Poise”, the second single from his upcoming new album, How Strange. To go with the new single, he’s also dropped off the visuals, which take us on a late-afternoon drive through a sun-soaked cityscape.
Like much of the LP, “Prudence & Poise” was the product of years of soaking up the influences of his Cuban heritage and filtering it into a warm and soothing folk sound. So subconscious was this influence, he says, that he didn’t even realise he was channeling those sounds until he sat down with his father—the accomplished jazz pianist and composer Gonzalo Rubalcaba—to help him produce and engineer his album, which was a collection of new arrangements of traditional Cuban songs.
Speaking with Complex via email, Soft Glas explained the importance of the Cuban influence in his music, saying: “From a production perspective, it’s special to me because it’s a clear example of how I’ve internalised my roots without necessarily being conscious of it. Growing up in a Cuban household, I was very familiar with traditional rhythms and styles, though I wasn’t necessarily aware of their distinctions, names, or history. I produced the song instinctively, drawing from some of those rhythms I grew up listening to.”
How Strange officially arrives March 19. Ahead of that, you pre-order the vinyl here from tomorrow, February 5.
