Reptilectric

Album Review

Zoé's fourth album, Reptilectric more or less follows in the same direction as its predecessor, Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea (2006), which had taken them to the top of the Mexican albums chart, established them as one of the top rock en español bands in the world, and earned them almost universal critical acclaim. For the third album in a row, Zoé collaborate with British producer Phil Vinall and come up with a psychedelic space rock style heavy on drums and synthesizer in addition to guitar. Indeed, the musical style of Zoé here on Reptilectric is somewhat reminiscent of the type of early-'90s alternative rock that Vinall had produced for Placebo, Gene, and the Auteurs. More than anything, however, it's reminiscent of Soda Stereo, the influential Argentine alternative rock band from the '80s and '90s led by Gustavo Cerati, whom Zoé toured with in 2006. As a matter of fact, one of the album highlights, "Nada," sounds like something taken straight from the Soda Stereo songbook circa Canción Animal (1990). There are several other highlights besides "Nada," most notably the driving album-opener "Reptilectric" and the melodic standout "Poli." While Reptilectric is another excellent album by Zoé that's sure to grow the band's fan base and garner more critical acclaim, it's not quite as impressive as Memo Rex. For one, it's darker in tone and more purposefully alternative, as if the band's response to success were to make its music less radio-friendly. Secondly, it faces higher expectations than Memo Rex on account of that album's tremendous success.