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diggDeep grooves infuse new Los Lobos CD
After 33 years of listening to a favorite band, one might come to expect certain things. In the case of Los Lobos, the musicians are still unearthing surprises for their fans.
The band's new CD, The Town and the City ($15, Hollywood Records/Mammoth), tells an arcing story about immigration, determination, longing and sacrifice, contrasted with hope, joy and solid vocal harmony.
In the opening tune, The Valley, lush, ascending chords provide an ethereal feeling reminiscent of Kiko, while Hold On hints strongly of the quiet desperation of a worker who laments he is "killing myself to survive." The Road to Gila Bend, a western-tinged piece tracing a night traveler's furtive journey to a safe place ("When I get there I can lay my head") is followed by the catchy Chuco's Cumbia. The sights and sounds of urban life crowd The City, a masterful cut of both fleeting aural and lyrical imagery, the kind of song that makes one stop to really listen. Critics have been praising the band's work on The Town and the City. Perhaps the buzz will translate into bigger kudos for the band from East L.A.
