Soler ponders on the nature of love with new album, How Did We Get Here?

By Graeme Smith

New to our blog, Soler has just come to my attention through his new album, How Did We Get Here?. The album revolves around his girlfriend who he met during an exchange programme in the US. Returning to Spain, he wondered about whether he’d ever see her again. The story is brought most vividly to life by the album’s final track Farm Stop (Natalia’s Song) but is it a happy ending?

Musically, the story is told mostly through indie folk but with diversions into jazz and pop. We get one Spanish language track in the form of Ya es Domingo. It’s a beautifully upbeat track with a groovy guitar rhythm that translates well into any tongue.

Elsewhere we get dreamy album opener Don’t Sleep, the soaring, Britpop-esque In Dreams, and the groovy, vulnerable Sit in Silence. The album is bisected by the ambient interlude Whalewatching and is closed by pair of highlights, Chicago and Farm Stop. The former is an extended moment of introspection brought to life through an instrumental that starts stripped-back and acoustic before building to a bright finish. The latter ends things on a high note through an expansive odyssey and prog rock twist.

Soler wrote all the songs on this album and played most of the instruments. He’s put so much of himself in it, and the personal nature of its story makes it all the more compelling. With a voice that’s easy to listen to and an approachable style, he’s got everything he needs to succeed in the world of music.

How Did We Get Here? is out now and you can give it a listen below.