Crafting the perfect flow

Fantasy Gateway is the latest release by Cuco, also known as Omar Banos. Banos is a Mexican-American singer, songwriter, and producer from California who has been active since 2010, usually making synthpop, lo-fi, and indie pop music. Fantasy Gateway is Banos’ latest album and is an excellent showing of his talent. 

Fantasy Gateway starts with the skit “Heaven Is Lucid Dreaming.” It smoothly transitions into the mellow track “Caution.” This track is an excellent introduction to the album as it sets up the album with a chill vibe and isn’t too long. The track’s beat is very laid-back and Cuco’s vocals fit nicely on it. The track “Aura” also continues the same laid-back vibe but is a bit more upbeat than the last track. This track is one of the best on the album as the vocals and the instrumental mesh beautifully, transforming the track into an almost magical experience for the listener.

The next few tracks continue with the same atmosphere that the first few tracks established. The next track that stands out however is the song “Finn Del Mundo.” Cuco and Bratty complement each other so well with their similar vocals and singing style. The beat also does them justice as—much like the rest of the album—it’s a calm, chill beat. The song also has a nice transition into the next track “Time Machine.”

The track “Sitting in the Corner”  has amazing features from Adriel Favela and Kacey Musgraves. It’s amazing how Cuco makes them all fit on the track beautifully to create one of the best songs on the album. Another thing that makes this track stand out is the slight beat change in the middle of it. The diversity of the track could have been messy but it is done well on the song.

The next song, “Foolish” is more of a dance track than the rest of the album, however, it still fits in well and doesn’t detract from the rest of the album at all. The song “Sweet Dissociation”  features a hard guitar during some sections that is unlike anything else on the album. While it is a bit jarring to listen to the first time around, it doesn’t take up much of the song and the track is still enjoyable.

Overall, the album is a very enjoyable listening experience and is a nearly flawless album front to back. There are many highs on this album and not any tracks that stand out as lows. The features on the album also contribute positively and don’t feel like they bloat the song they’re on. The instrumentals all smoothly transition into each other and build on each other to make the mood very mellow and laid-back. One of the best things about the album is how well Cuco’s vocals fit on every single beat, as they flow well with what the music gives him.