Alma Blindada, nudo’s debut full-length coming out via Halcyon Veil on July 26th, is the culmination of years of sonic field work. “Alma Blindada means armored soul, or bulletproof spirit,” highlights Hernandez, “but ‘blindado’ is also narco slang for a protected person.” Their album, the most refined iteration to their sound yet, explores the spectrum of potentiality within a person. Creation vs destruction; innocence vs guilt; conflicting sides to a story. nudo is fearless when calling out disparate convictions all at once. Songs like ‘de aquí ya no salgo,’ where a difficult phone recording between a mother and an incarcerated son is paired over a light-hearted fretless bass line, speak to the sobering truth of the criminal justice system, and perspective shifts when guided by familial love. In ‘acción y fé,’ a grandmother’s last words, re-recited through distorted low vocals contrasted with colorful, celebratory elements, the listener is walked through the complicated stages of unresolved grief. ‘anthem huachicolero’ nods to Huachicol, a popular moonshine alcohol from Mexico. But “huachicolero” is also local slang for those who steal and resell gasoline from trucks, unguarded plants, and trains. In nudo’s books, you can always dig deeper, untie knots, and piece parts back together. The record also features contributions from like minded artists like 1guerobass1, known for his instrumentation in Junior H and Peso Pluma songs, and local Norteño artists in the pair’s orbit. Through a collaging style and process, the project opens up a space for common ground, tension release, and taking a hard look at the ominous side of things not often shown. By mixing this with ironic stylistic elements, nudo allows you to pull out as little or as much from their music – “It’s all there if [and when] you’re ready to take a look.” The disembodied voice memos, freeform production, vocal distortion, and hyper-detailing all play critical parts in guiding the listener to a state of emotional turmoil and transcendence. Through their music, nudo decriminalizes all that’s tainted, and spotlight the blood-tainted parts of immigrant America. Their vanguardist approach in Alma Blindada is a peek into the bilateral nature of Southern Texas and border realities; it’s also a dissected response to sacrifice at the root of immigrant America. Sampling the everyday, while stepping into liminal space, where both worlds melt into one, and the distance between borders is removed, or at least pulled closer together. A space where you’re invited to remain friends and riders after passing through the ringer of war, be it spiritual or physical. The result is music that’s transcendent, dissociative and rule breaking. It greets you at the door and invites you to stay a while. “Rural Texas you contain me,” they ponder unanimously. “Make me in your image.”