Search - Barranca :: El Fluir

Mexico's best kept secret

Gerald Bostock | 2112 | 03/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've heard about 'Rock in Espanyol' you've probably heard the same 5 names, all of them bands promoted by major labels. I had the chance of listening to LA BARRANCA play this show live and you can quickly tell why the majors can't handle THIS much music.



This guys have the same broad palette as Los Lobos (both bands feature 2 incredible guitar players) but this album focuses on the grittier side since the cd was recorded 'live at the studio' (something less and less bands can acomplish nowadays). So, imagining a charged up Lobos' KIKO is somehow a way to describe this album.



As in Los Lobos, with the lyrics you get a Dylanesque portrait of Mexico and with the music you get a real fusion of latin and rockin' sounds instead of the current cut'n'pasted latin pop. No wonder this guys have worked outside the latin mainstream. The band has been around for more than ten years and the chemistry between them shows, they're all marvelous players and we're talking here about taste, not speed (it would be cool to put out a dvd of a complete live show... this cd has a bonus track and bonus video by the way).



One of these songs should someday become a 'hit single' and expose this guys to a bigger number of listeners... maybe on a soundtrack... THIS much music deserves it."