Nortec Collective- ‘Tijuana Sessions Vol 3’ (Nacional) Released 31/10/06

 

Opener ‘Tengo La Voz’ is Mexico flava meets the beats of the swinging sixties; different to say the least, repetitive and boring most definitely; ‘Tengo La Voz’ goes on for far too long without any development in sound. ‘Tijuana Makes Me Happy’ and ‘Don Loope’ both sound like this band got stuck in a computer game and have decided that contrary to all sense, using these random blips and a mismatched beat will make this song good. The same can be said for ‘Funky Tamazula’ as Mexican music mashed with funk was never a match made in Heaven so as soon as this number starts up you know it’s one to skip fast.

 

The album continues much in the same way with ‘Olvídela Compa’ the same kind of jazzy/funk sounds being shoved alongside a type of music that certainly requires an acquired taste. But if there is one track you listen to on this album make it ‘Autobanda’. Why? Because if Madness were Mexican, this is what they would sound like! The rest of the songs are exactly that same style as those earlier on the album and so it’s hard to really be interested in the other tracks because they are very similar to the last six or so songs you’ve just heard. The exception is ‘Colorado’ which is nothing more than interesting in the fact that it could just be a very very strange nod towards the White Stripes ‘Blue Orchid’- just listen to those beats and guitar sounds very carefully and you’ll get what Entertainmentwise means.

 

In all honesty ‘Tijuana Sessions Vol 3’ is the kind of album that you would hear playing in the background of some trendy Mexican restaurant and it is definitely not the kind of thing that you would go out of your way to buy unless this is your thing! Applause goes to the Nortec Collective for making such a different and distinct album, but different and distinct don’t always make for a good record, which is unfortunately the case here.