Costa Rica is back at it again. But now with a shoegaze/emo/ambient/and everything in between band.
Adiós Cometa released their second studio album, Un Destello de Luz, last week. The album follows the band’s previous full-length (titled Nuestras Manos son Incendios) and reflects a more structured approach to songwriting.
The record was written collectively, with songs developing over time during rehearsals. It opens with the instrumental "Y De Reojo, Un Resplandor," which leads into more intense tracks such as "Candelaria" and "Una Vida En Otra Parte." Throughout the album, the band incorporates tempo shifts and vocal arrangements, expanding on their established sound.
Sonically, Un Destello de Luz features cleaner guitar work followed by ambient sections. The tracklist is divided into a fast, “heavier” first half and a slower, more mellow second half. Songs like "Quema La Memoria" and "Mala Memoria" emphasize atmosphere over speed.
The album includes several guest contributions. "El Mundo En Mis Brazos (Leonor)" features Lucía Masnatta of Fin del Mundo. "Mala Memoria" includes vocals from María Paula Vásquez (Encarta 98), as well as a saxophone performance by Joaquin Vanrafelghem (montegrande). Amanda Murillo of A Su Ladera appears on "Quema La Memoria," contributing to the track’s final form.
The album's lyrical themes include memory, loss, loneliness, and responsibility. Four of the five members of Adiós Cometa are parents, and those experiences are clearly seen in the album’s lyrical content.
When asked about their primary influences, vocalist and guitarist Ema Mora states that they “naturally leaned more into our denser, heavier influences. We all grew up listening to hardcore, emo, and similar genres, and even though we started more as a dream-pop act, over time our music evolved into something rawer and more intense. It still draws from shoegaze, of course, but also from post-hardcore, screamo, and related sounds.”
A few bands that Adiós Cometa has looked up to are Signal Hill, This Will Destroy You, and Pianos Become the Teeth. “I like to think that you can also find traces of Mineral, Christie Front Drive, and The Pine here and there,” Ema says.
Un Destello de Luz will be released by Spinda Records (Spain), Steadfast Records (US), and Furia (Costa Rica). It will be available digitally, as well as on vinyl, CD, and cassette. The release coincides with upcoming live dates across Latin America, with a European tour planned for the second half of 2026.
As for future plans, Mora states that the band will “Keep playing, keep traveling whenever we have the chance, keep recording. We have a couple of splits scheduled for this year, one with a screamo band, actually, so there’s that. We’re always looking to try new things and expand our sound, and I think this will be a year for doing that. Hopefully we’ll be able to play in the US sometime soon.”
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Un Destello de Luz is available on Digital, vinyl, CD, cassette via Steadfast Records (US), Spinda Records (EU), and Furia (Spain).
Adiós Cometa on social media: Instagram
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