Argentine duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso love to spin a good tale, construct concept albums and release ambitious long-form videos that showcase their songs. They toyed with the idea in their 2025 EP Papota and now take it to new heights with their third album Free Spirits.
School buddies Catriel Guerreiro and Ulises Paco Guerriero paid their dues with a string of singles released in 2018-2019, before a pause during Covid-lockdown and some promising solo efforts. The duo’s comeback in 2024 was an immediate success with massive popularity, first in Argentina with Baño María and then worldwide with a surprisingly fresh Tiny Desk Concert for NPR that has already reached 50M views.
Since then, they experienced the rollercoaster life of rock superstars, with intensive global tour dates, concerts in iconic festivals, and winning both a Grammy award and five Latin Grammys. A dream come true, carefully documented in their social media.
The next step towards a new album involved the strategy of creating media buzz with the last-minute cancellation of the record and announcing their dire need for a break. This was soon followed by the release of a video where Sting himself mentioned their “meltdown” and welcomed them to an apocryphal wellness institute named Free Spirits.
On February 12, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso finally released Hasta Jesús Tuvo Un Mal Día (Even Jesus Had a Bad Day), the first single of the album aptly titled Free Spirits, featuring guest vocals by former The Police frontman. Its infectious rhythm and pop-rock feel led to 2.6 million views on YouTube.
One month later, the second single (and video) included a surprise appearance of actor and musician Jack Black. The result of their collaboration is playful bossa Goo Goo Ga Ga.
Finally, on March 19, the Free Spirits album reached digital platforms with 12 songs that reflect their musical growth, ambition and inventiveness.
The duo’s trademark tongue-in-cheek lyrics and collage of trap, hip-hop, rock, pop and jazz lyrics reach a new level, with an exquisite sound elaborated by producers Federico Vindver and Rafa Arcaute, plus the talent of a slew of top session players, both Argentine and American. They skillfully juggle with bossa nova, merengue, funk and even Indian-inspired atmospheres.
There are many references to fame and excess, as well as the healing journey of a post-burnout rebirth, always full of irony and provocations. They even play around with a sample of late-Sixties hit La Felicidad by legendary Palito Ortega!
Some memorable new-age nibbles are verses “The more I have, the worse I feel” and “Being famous is terrible, I wish I could be a hippie”. And the opening lines of the first track are “Nobody tries anything new, everything is already made”.
Highlights include the autobiographical Vida Loca and Muero, the unexpected beatswitches in Ha Ha, winks to disco music in Soy Increíble, and the horn arrangements of Todo Ray.
American rapper, singer-songwriter and producer Anderson .Paak jams with Ca7riel and Paco in Ay Ay Ay with a Brazilian batucada feel, and British DJ Fred Again appears in neo-trap song Lo Quiero Ya.
Next steps include a Free Spirits World Tour that kicks off on May 14-15 in Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena, and throughout the year will stop at iconic venues Radio City Music Hall (New York), Greek Theater (Los Angeles), Red Rocks Amphitheater (Colorado) and O2 Academy (London).