Mariachi El Bronx (III)
New Beat is an excellent start to this album, delivering the get-up-and-dance-after-thumping-some-nachos tunes we’ve come to know and love from Mariachi El Bronx. However, from here on in, the mariachi part gets lost somewhat.
Rather than try to once again nail a traditional mariachi record, the boys from The Bronx have set out to make an album inspired by but not constricted to the genre. Perhaps as a result, there’s a mix of tempos here, including some slower numbers such as Sticks And Stones. This track, and others, incorporate a chorus of backing vocals that don’t quite hit the mark. High Tide, too, is a bit bland, even though there’s sometimes a lot going on. Perhaps it’s the throw-in-a-million-strings approach or the uninspiring vocals, but it’s definitely one of the more forgettable Mariachi El Bronx tunes. Nothing’s Changed is an example of a slower one that works, while Wildfires and Raise The Dead are both enjoyable.
However, on the whole, Mariachi El Bronx III is a little disappointing after the rollicking feel of I and II. Perhaps the hugely successful side project has run its course. Maybe it’s just a transitional record, and the next offering (if there is one) will feel a bit more cohesive and settled. It’s a bit difficult to tell.
2.5
JOSH FERGEUS
