Rotonova

Album Review

Razl is Spanish guitarist Raul Huelves. If you want to peg his music, fusion is probably closest, but think Jeff Beck fusion as opposed to Mahavishnu Orchestra/Return to Forever (he also plays without a pick à la Jeff Beck). Guests Mike Keneally (one track) and Bryan Beller (two tracks) may also give some listeners an indication of what to expect. Razl calls it "intergalactic dirty guitar grooves for Earthling weirdos" and that's probably a better description than "fusion" (especially given the turntablist on "Grungly"). He's a tasty player with a strong ace in the hole in drummer Pepe Acebal. Bass and Rhodes or organ round out most tracks with sax and added percussion on a few. The tunes are fun and catchy with some nice twists and turns, and the few samples/vocals there are show that Razl's got a good sense of humor as well as being a fine guitar player. Rotonova is definitely a promising debut.