Divino Niño - Made Up My Mind Single Review

Less is often more but, on “Made Up My Mind”, every aspect of production feels purposeful

“Made Up My Mind” is the newest output from American-Colombian dream pop collective Divino Niño. Best known for their critically acclaimed 2019 LP ‘Foam’, Divino Niño are a band whose smooth navigation of psychedelia influence sets them apart as truly unique. 

The track is eclectic by nature; it features a smattering of sounds which blend together so seamlessly. It begins with a melancholic horn arrangement that carries throughout the track, leading into rolling percussion and the unforgettable addition of thunder SFX to capture a surreal and moody feel. Lead vocalist Camilo Medina navigates a phantasmagorical world of love and heartache, switching faultlessly between English and Spanish to narrate his tale. The characteristic synth work featured on the track is impressive on its own but there’s something about the incorporation of bittersweet and evocative sax-trumpet instrumentation which enhances the sad beauty of “Made Up My Mind”. 

Akin to most quarantine projects, the song was written at the start of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, with Medina and his bandmates hunkered down in an isolated cabin working on new music. Fellow Chicago musicians Will Miller and Sen Morimoto tracked their respective trumpet and sax lines at different stages during the song’s production. As well as outsourcing instrumentation, the band also worked with an outside mixing engineer for the first time, bringing in the expertise of Patrick Wimberly to perfect the song.

With these helping hands, and by assimilating such a variety of sounds and effects, the final result could have been overwhelming. Instead, I think it’s the opposite. Less is often more but, on “Made Up My Mind”, every aspect of production feels purposeful.