Els Pets

Among the scant remnants of the brief early-1990s wave called rock català, or Catalan rock, stands the enduring group Els Pets. Their work draws from a deep affinity for 1960s English pop, above all the Beatles, together with soul music, resulting in records that stay direct, unrestrained, and exuberant while exploring broad subjects such as love, society, and sex in a relaxed manner. Lluís Gavaldà on vocals and guitar, drummer Joan Reig, and bassist Falin Cáceres first assembled in 1985; one year later they issued their initial homemade cassette demo under the name Els Pets, which translates literally as “the Farts.” The unexpected popularity of those recordings prompted the addition of guitarist Ramon Vidal for the band’s self-financed, self-titled debut album in 1989.

In 1991 Discmedi released the follow-up Calla i Balla, inaugurating a lasting partnership with guitarist and producer Marc Grau. The ensuing tour comprised eighty concerts across four months alongside the Catalan acts Sau, Sangtraït, and Sopa de Cabra, with the largest shows taking place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi. Fruits Sex appeared in 1992, its increased sales earning the band Radio 4’s Most Popular Band Award and establishing them as leading figures of rock català.

Catalan television station TV3 commissioned a song for its 1993 summer campaign; the track was later featured on the mini-CD Cap de Setmana, which also contained reworked versions of earlier material. Brut Natural followed in 1994 and was voted Best Album of the Year by the station’s viewers, while that same year Els Pets received the National Music Award, Catalonia’s highest governmental honor. Marking the group’s tenth anniversary, Vine a la Festa (1995) collected live recordings from the Gira Cua 95 tour and added four previously unreleased songs.

Bon Dia reached stores in 1997 to an enthusiastic response; its buoyant title track became a major hit, propelling the album to gold status after more than 75,000 copies were sold. Following a one-year hiatus, the band returned with Sol in 1999. Respira arrived in 2001, preserving Els Pets’ characteristic style and everyday subject matter yet introducing richer arrangements to their straightforward verse-chorus-verse format. The 2002 compilation Malacara gathered further greatest-hits material. Agost was issued in 2004, and Com Anar al Cel i Tornar appeared in 2007.