Cafe Tacuba Sino CD Review
Mexican Rock Band Releases 6th Studio Album
Oct 24, 2007 Adrian Gerardo Perez Mejia
About 17 years ago in Naucalpan, Mexico City, Ruben Albarran, Emmanuel de Real, Joselo Rangel and Enrique Rangel decided to start a band. Originally named Alicia Ya no Vive Aqui (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) after a Martin Scorcese´s film, and later the today renowned Cafe Tacuba, named after a small coffee shop in El Zócalo in the Centro Histórico District of Mexico City. In October 2007, Sino, their sixth studio album was released, and apparently they are still the same energetic, fun, Mexican folklore loving, music style fusing band.
Sino is Café Tacuba Today
Sino is exactly how Café Tacuba should sound after 17 years and 6 records. Their sound is more mature, but the essence is the same. Their music is still playful and organic and fused with Mexican roots. The band went back to basics using almost only typical rock instruments. It doesn’t mean that it lacks the characteristic diversity of music styles the band usually impregnates to their songs, it’s just that they have reached a point (they are turning 40) where they can focus on more profound and serious matters, lyrics for example.
Sino which in English means destiny is the main topic throughout the album. With songs titled Volver a Comenzar (Start Again), Seguir Siendo (Keep On Being) and Esta Vez (This Time) its pretty clear there is a sense of concern in the importance and significance we give to the time we spend living our lives: creating our own path, making the right choices, loving and fearing, laughing and crying, trying to leave a mark.
Vamonos (Let´s Go) tells a story of a journey to a better place, and in the meantime there is nothing else to do but to enjoy the ride. Sino is destiny, sino is life, si (yes) no (no) are the only two choices we get to make, so try and make the best decisions, and try to have the best time while at it.
Café Tacuba’s perspective on life is wiser now; their music and lyrics are a reflection of their maturity as individuals. Ruben’s voice is more in control, he even decides to keep silence and let others sing. (The other band member´s vocal participations are outstanding)
Fused Music Style
The significance in lyrics and maturity didn’t keep los tacubos from making their trademark energetic music. They managed to keep their flavor, their originality and most importantly, a fused music style: a tango influenced song El Outsider (The Outsider …), a quiet lullaby Arrullo (To lull asleep), the indie rocker Y Es Que… (It’s that...), to Ruben’s gritty punk styled Cierto o Falso (True or False).
Their first single Volver a Comenzar (Start Over Again), is the more evident example of the bands recoil to classic rock, a tribute to their origins and influences (The Beatles and David Bowie). Joselo´s vocal participation shifts the song direction giving it a more profound and epic feeling to it, singing about existence and personal breakdown. Ruben joins in again later to help Joselo end the song, lighting the mood with his gritty fast passed leading voice.
The Who’s influenced 53100 is Emmanuel’s turn to shine where the groups gradual collaboration with acoustic and electric guitars pays off with what could be the album’s best song. This dynamic loops quite frequently throughout the album. Each song is perfect in the sense that the implicit understanding between the band members is flawless and their musical knowledge is overwhelming
Sino, Just as Good
Sino is fun and colorful, and it kind of resembles their first work, or even Re. It’s not better or worse, it’s just as good as the rest. That’s a quality that Café Tacuba has mastered and this is why they are Mexico’s most important and transcendental band. They have the ability to innovate with maturity and be true to their origins and their fans by being the same humble guys from Naucalpan they where 17 years ago.
Cafe Tacuba - Sino
|
Latest Articles