Review by LarryG
3 stars out of 4
The 90's have been an interesting time for Los Lobos. While
there are certainly other examples(e.g. Neil Young), it's unusual for
veteran performers to be experimenting and so clearly trying to find a
comfortable sound. The results were amazing on 1992's Kiko, a
brilliant, challenging record with many styles but consistently high
quality. Their followup, Colossal Head, was also ambitious but was not
as enjoyable a listen and had the sense that the band was showing off
how cool and quirky they were. That showy eccentricity has also
sometimes plagued the work of Latin Playboys, a side project of some
of the band's members. Happily, there's nothing forced or pretentious
about Los Lobos' new CD, This Time. It's just a great, smooth record
with a lot of great grooves. Perhaps Los Lobos has been affected by
the time they've spent in summer festivals with former members of the
Grateful Dead. This Time has a loose, relaxed feel throughout. The
tone is set right from the start with the title track. This Time is
about taking things slow and appreciating the moment.
The music, with
Steve Berlin's cool sax, matches the lyrics with an easy, unrushed
feel. Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake create a good, textured feel but,
unlike some of the previous work they've produced for the band, the
sound never seems flashy or gimmicky. Once again David Hidalgo shows
himself to be an amazing singer. His smooth, pure vocals on This Time,
while perhaps not as soulful, deserve comparison to Marvin Gaye's easy
work on his 70's classics. The band's quality has often dropped off on
the songs of Cesar Rosas, the band's other vocalist. Rosas is not as
technically strong as Hidalgo but his deep, hipster vocals fit well
with the record's cool, late night feel. Oh Yeah, with evocative
percussion and Berlin's moody horn is a dreamy, jazzy ride. On the
other hand, sometimes Hidalgo's singing can sometimes be a little too
clean. It benefits from getting a little mussed up on Viking.
Hidalgo's singing is filtered as he sings of a tough local legend.
Hidalgo lets loose an appropriately harsh guitar solo. While most of
This Time is smooth jams, it also does rock out. High Places is a
great, edgy down and dirty rocker. Hidalgo lets loose as he sings of
the advantages and troubles of success. The band, which had a brief
taste of huge success with their only hit, their remake of La Bamba,
seem very aware of the troubles with being in high places. Hidalgo
also rips through the raveup Why We Wish and he's very cool on Turn
Around, singing about how no matter how good or bad things are,
everything can totally change. For a while, drummer Louie Perez has
had help in concert as he's looked to rough up the sound with more
percussion and has also worked on other instruments. On This Time,
drummer Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello's Attractions and
percussionist Victor Bisetti keep the groove going nonstop. The mood
is consistently cool. I've rarely totally related to the band's
Spanish language songs but on This Time they're easy to like. The
Spanish songs fit perfectly with the record's simple, fun mood. If
you've had a year of high school Spanish, you'll probably understand
the simple themes. Rosas' Cumbia Raza is a smooth, lush invitation to
dance. Hidalgo's La Playa is an atmospheric evocation of the fun to be
had at the beach. Corazon is the lesser of the three Spanish songs.
Its love song is pleasant enough but doesn't really go anywhere.
The only downside of This Time is what it doesn't have. There
are none of Hidalgo's heartbreaking cries for social justice like Will
the Wolf Survive or Is There All There Is? On This Time, Los Lobos
just want to have a good, relaxed time and to that end, they are
extremely successful.
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