The title track, El Toro, kicks off with a wonderful "south of the border" influence. Stepping it up a gear, the verses add infectious energy and a nice edgy guitar riff. Great stuff. Not so great, in my book, is the uninspiring chorus, messy composition and drawn-out ending. But in between these flaws is a very enjoyable song.
The awkward composition also afflicts Won't You Ride With Me and Brazil, both of which feel more like a medley than a cohesive song. I also find their lyrics pretty banal, however this can be slightly forgiven due to the genre.
Solitary Man, like El Toro, has a lot of potential but just misses the mark. The quieter parts (with the rimshots) are brilliantly emotive and dripping with style. But the louder sections are just a mess.
Finally, for the last two songs, we are blessed with some cohesive arrangements. While It's A Good Day and Rockville aren't really that memorable, they are both quite enjoyable efforts.
Like the songs themselves, the recording quality varies greatly. Sometimes the double-bass is boomy, most of the band gets lost in the mix or the horns sound tinny. At other times, it all comes together beautifully, with each instrument nicely full of character.
No comments:
Post a Comment