Los Lobos-Gates of Gold (2015)

Los Lobos-Gates of Gold (2015)

“Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”

Cesar Chavez

By: Ghost Writer

The fact that "accidents" like Donald Trump are currently becoming factors of tension in the migrant situation in the U.S. makes almost highly symbolic the fact that Los Lobos, U.S. quintessential Mexico American band is back this year with a quite powerful recording, it is obviously influenced by the time the band spent in recent years with Neil Young and Crazy Horse, these days the band sounds dense and prone to jam a lot and that's precisely what makes Gates of Gold such an essential record this year.

Opener Made to Bake Your Heart my sound like your typical love song, but is a powerful slow burner with a jam section that remind us of Crazy Horse extended fiery jams, it is also reminiscent of the almost hypnotic stuff bands like Wilco have been doing with roots sounds, it is powerful groove laden and it has burning guitar lines that immediately grabs the listener.

Next is the crazy wicked jazz intro to When We Were Free, where the band really does wonders to diversify the stuff, Los Lobos simply sound wonderful bringing an awesome jazzy feeling that reminds me at times of the great Marvin Gaye, but this time cruising thru LA, its again a very engaging tune with terrifying soulful singing, chameleonic guitars and the type of kaleidoscopic bass folks like Thundercat have been introducing into modern pop, just the type of groovy stuff folks like Cypress Hill should consider sampling in the future.

But if you thought Tex Mex was just about Selena y Los Dinos or Ramón Ayala, give a listen to the Chicano rocking garagey stuff on Mis-Treater Boogie Blues a heavy blues romp that sets itself apart, and talking about jams, There I Go is a great jazzy prelude to the heavy riffing and funky drums of Too Small Heart, a hard rocking tune that immediately transport us to the best music of the 70s, and let’s not forget the soul burning cumbia of the great Poquito Para Aqui, and the passionate Chicano, by the wat of Colombia nostalgic feeling of La Rymba, yes my friends, all this is what Tex Mex is ALL about.

But before all, Los Lobos are a guitar band and that comes to the front on the desert jam of Song of the Sun, which again showcases in great manner the great musicians in this band, with an Earth shattering rhythm section and snake like guitar playing.

This great record closes with the wandering Magdalena, a tune that just gets better and better after each listing and that rounds up a terrific record, a record that shows how great is a band when it passionately applies reinvention and non-conformist attitude totally focused on refusing to be pigeonholed, this is without a doubt for me one of the great surprising records of the year.

Trump, this one's for you!