Reina

Album Review

In the same vein as their previous work, Kinky's third record, Reina, combines elements of electronica, rock, and Latin into 40 minutes of hip-shaking music, which has always been what the band has done, anyway. So while the feel of each song may change somewhat between individual tracks ("I Say Hey" is Talking Headsy, "Lay Back" alludes to old-school hip-hop, and "¿Donde Van los Muertos?" uses a ranchera-inspired accordion), the overall intent and focus of the album is on the beat, and even in those moments where things start to become kind of cheesy (as music in which the synthesizer plays a large role, as it does here, is wont to do), the groove is so tight and crisp that it's easy to ignore those missteps and think instead about showing off your moves. That last statement is clearly the objective of Kinky, too, because more than anything else, it sounds like they're having a lot of fun, dancing around the studio as they play their instruments. The bass and guitar are clean and funky, the drums are equally as comfortable playing complex Latin beats (on the fantastic "Uruapan Breaks," for instance) as they are a more straightforward rock rhythm, the keyboards are poppy and quirky, the effects are well placed (the roaring sample in "León," for instance), and singer Gilberto Cerezo's voice is light and airy, a kind of José González-meets-Rob B-from-Stereo MC's (a comparison helped by the fact he often doubles up his vocal tracks), and works as a nice complement to the band's super-produced sound (as does the voice of Men at Work's Colin Hay, who adds his to the sleaze-groove of "Monday Killer"). It's all layered together, looped and twisted, and spread out into 12 easily digestible yet complex and interesting songs, catchy in that fun, plasticy kind of way, meant to be enjoyed and danced to during the summer months and then placed gently aside when the first frost starts to set in, where they'll wait patiently for next spring, when the party can start up all over again.