Imagine my surprise when, trawling through Amazon the other day, I came upon the new Los Lobos record, The Town and the City. I was even more surprised to see all the comparisons to their masterpiece, Kiko, and to learn the band had consciously tried to recapture some of the adventuresome spirit that made that earlier album great.
Giving it its second listen now. It has some of Kiko’s inventiveness, but it sounds a little more Latin Playboys-y. It’s very moody and unsentimental, and though it doesn’t quite rawk out there is some typically fine guitar work. All in all, a darn good record: better than This Time or The Ride, more consistent than Good Morning Aztlan … yeah, it might actually be the best thing they’ve done since Kiko.
Anyone else hear it?