Los Retrovisores - Sonido Joanic
- Published in Albums
Barcelona's 16 legged groove machine, Los Retrovisores, return with their second album, a co-release between their hometown label BCore & Soundflat of Germany. Sonido Joanic finds them capitalising on their numerous live performances from the past six years, exhibiting a greater confidence in their own abilities and forging a sound that nods to all of their influences but which is very far from derivative.
Brass, organ, a tight rhythm section and a frontman putting his all into their upbeat amalgam of Sixties R'n'B, soul, mod, acid jazz (both homegrown and that which influenced the original Spanish exponents of such US & UK exports) combine across the nine original compositions here (and a superfluous cover of 'Harlem Shuffle') to comprehensively bring home the bacon.
Right from the opening track 'Mentiras' this is an infectious, foot-tapper of a record and that insistent demand to get up and dance along is kept up for the duration. Another one of this year's great party records. The pace and overall groove never really slacken off apart from slightly on that aforementioned cover but it at least feels shorter than the original so it's a minor blip in an otherwise very well crafted piece of work from a band that know what they want and exactly what to sound like in order to get it.
Released possibly the wrong side of summer, despite the warmer temperatures they no doubt enjoy for a bit longer than those of us in Northern Europe, this should see you through the longer nights ahead with a blast of Iberian garage soul being the glimmer at the end of the wintry tunnel. Say it loud!, I'm Spanish & proud!
Sonido Joanic is available from BCore.
