- Festival Nrmal boasted a number of striking performances this year, though in general it was troubled by scatterbrained programming. The lineup for the two-day Mexico City affair leaned heavily on crossover acts who could woo a traditional rock audience, as well as fans of more experimental pop and electronic music. At times this led to a confusing program that tried to court both camps without really committing to either. And there was too strong an emphasis on tepid indie electronic bands that float by with lazy reference to vintage pop and R&B tropes (Puerto Rico's Buscabulla, for example).
Other times, though, the festival's eclectic approach created openings for the crowd to discover artists they otherwise would have skipped. New York duo Phantogram, a band that I had heard about but slagged off as easy-listening Coachella pop, hit the stage with wild energy and striking attention to detail. Sarah Barthel's lofty voice cut clean through the heavy synthesizer swells and slamming drum machine loops—and it translated especially well over the venue's formidable soundsystem, which provided both startling low end and crisp, clear highs. Drone metal band Swans, who closed out the main stage on Saturday, was another clever crossover choice: the six-piece's live show held up to its reputation for sheer bodily intensity.
But the absolute highlight of Saturday's main stage was Fatima and The Eglo Band. The Swedish singer exuded an easy-going enthusiasm that came across both in her cool, collected stage presence and her incredible vocal control. She ran through nearly all of the cuts from her recent album, Yellow Memories, many of which require complicated vocal maneuvers. During the album standout "La Neta," (coincidentally Mexican slang for "the truth"), Fatima broke out a toy xylophone and played along with the song's jazzy, syncopated chorus. She even had the guts to sing a funky, stripped-back cover of Aaliyah's "Rock The Boat" towards the end of her set.
The global scope of Nrmal's programming is not to be understated. Argentinian Chancha via Circuito's digital cumbia mixes lit the smaller Red Bull stage on fire on Saturday night, which was impressive given the dubby, meditative energy his music tends to cultivate. Omar Souleyman also delivered a stunning performance closing out Sunday night, despite suffering from sound issues. And DJ Dodger Stadium's live set worked the crowd into a frenzy with retro diva vocals, jacking drums and feel-good chord progressions, though it leaned a bit too heavily on canned vintage house motifs.
Beyond those standout performances, though, it was frustrating to sit through hours of straight-ahead indie pop or rock 'n' roll—bands like Future Islands and Black Angels—as well as the pleasant but forgettable elevator music mixed by house DJs like El Guincho. It also strikes me as strange that, compared to last year, the festival's electronic and dance programming (which in 2014 included Blood Orange, Silver Apples, Kelela, Matias Aguayo, DJ Rashad and Sinjin Hawke among many others) would shrink so considerably.
All that aside, the festival ran smoothly from an organizational standpoint, with reasonably priced drinks, impressive food options, and short lines for bars and bathrooms. In the end, Nrmal still provides an important outlet for the Mexico City music scene, mixing big time independent acts with virtual unknowns, while offering more casual listeners the opportunity to become serious music fans.