Dose in Bloomington, MN

This second album from
the Latin Playboys
continues the
avant-roots
explorations of their first record. Omnipresent on
Dose
is
Mitchell Froom
and
Tchad Blake
's signature production. The two are so good at what they do that they can make even an average song compelling due to the sonic wizardry of their recording techniques, and they utilize every trick in their lexicon here, from
lo-fi
vocals to distorted drums.
David Hidalgo
Louie Perez
do their part by conjuring up a wonderful variety of guitar tones, such as the exploding lead on the title track. However, the tunes here just aren't happening. Recording and production wizardry can only get one so far, and
is the result of technique trying to overcompensate for a temporary drop in imagination. This is not to say that there aren't some strong moments on this record. The smoldering
"Lemon 'N Ice,"
featuring
Jerry Marotta
Wendy & Lisa
(of
the Revolution
fame), has almost a street-level
Steely Dan
vibe, and the opening instrumental,
"Fiesta Erotica,"
features a heady dose of Irish and Middle Eastern tonalities. All in all, however, it is more likely to appeal to
Froom
/
Blake
fans than
Los Lobos
fans. Not a bad thing necessarily, but definitely a surprise for most who were expecting
"La Bamba."
~ Daniel Gioffre