This year, the Spring Equinox welcomed a brand new album from one-man rock project, The Hummingbird Conspiracy – an eponymous eight-track journey of inner conflict and transcendence, courage and curiosity, fragility and strength.
Conceptualised and composed by Venezuelan artist Jose Roman Duque, who fans might recall from his previous jazz fusion project, JORODU, The Hummingbird Conspiracy sees the artist step away from his jazz roots to plunge deeper into the realms of rock music. Already excited? Let’s dive into the highlights…
Fat and juicy hard rock tones introduce this electric record, Jose’s vocals a flashback to 80s new wave while harbouring an almost industrial flair. He sticks to what makes the old-school great, serving guitar-driven rock at its finest, perfected with a conceptual edge.
This isn’t just music, but “an emotional map of liberation,” as the artist himself writes. The Hummingbird Conspiracy offers a “deeply human album that wrestles with the tension between confinement and freedom: the prisons we inherit, the ones we construct ourselves, and the strength of the soul to transcend them.”
By track two, “Scavenger,” the journey becomes clear, as Jose explores the world of rock ballads, with a slight post-punk feel that soon gets carved with enigmatic hints of sci-fi. His lyrics sketch a story of dream-chasing, which practically any listener will relate to, before track three, “Hums Like Wires” explores acoustic rock with the vibe of a ’70s hit.
“Déjà Vu” marks a stand-out moment; an introspective, lullaby-like kaleidoscope of clean tones and crushing distortions. Moody and melancholic, to the point that it’s almost gothic in its creeping atmosphere, it blends flawlessly into its haunting follow-up, “Something’s Ending” – a break-up song with a twist.
A plush, midnight vibe commands “Vigil In The Night of Nihil,” a piece where trap beats lace piano riffs and where classic rock electrics break the ambience, transforming the track into a prog rock megalith.
“Pater Familias” dedicates its eight-minute run time, the longest on the album, to a song of distance and connection, memory and erasure; a Pink Floyd feel backlighting this foreboding but beautifully imaginative track, with lyrics that seem to trace a story of dementia.
Final instalment, “Mirage Of Life” sees Jose return to his jazz-fusion roots, blending his past and future through an anthemic rock chorus and an outlandish guitar solo.
Whilst being a one-man project, The Hummingbird Conspiracy features some special guest guitar solos from Kako Guzman, Kabeto Sequini, and Niko Tsonev, the record finessed and finalised by Grammy Award-winning producer Erik Aldrey, whose name graces the album credits of Duran Duran, Robin Thicke, and Chaka Khan, amongst many more.
Our final verdict? Highly Recommended.
BELOW: Listen to The Hummingbird Conspiracy and check out their music online. Please support The Hummingbird Conspiracy by visiting their website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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