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Proxima Estacion: Esperanza
The debut from Manu Chao, the former leader of French world-punks Lo Mano Negra, leaned heavily on Latin America for its inspiration, but this time around he's obviously been spending time--at least in his head--in the Caribbean. Reggae rhythms abound, and the opener "Merry Blues" features some wonderfully wonky Jamaican-style brass, while "Promiscuity" takes its cue from Trinidadian calypso. Of course, this being Chao, there are plenty of playful touches--from ringing cell phones to speeded-up vocals--and inevitably there are the Latin influences throughout to remind you of what remains close to his heart ("La Primavera" in particular is a standout). But there's also some recycling from the last album, with two pieces sharing the "King of Bongo" melody, including "Mr. Bobby," his tribute to Bob Marley, and that's a little worrying. Is Manu Chao running out of inspiration? Certainly this doesn't have the freshness of Clandestino, however enjoyable it may be. If anything, it seems more of a holding action rather than a giant step forward. But sometimes that's necessary to be able to look to the future. --Chris Nickson
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Tracks| 1 | Merry Blues | | 2 | Bixo | | 3 | Eldorado 1997 | | 4 | Promiscuity | | 5 | Primavera | | 6 | Me Gustas Tu | | 7 | Denia | | 8 | Mi Vida | | 9 | Trapped by Love | | 10 | Rendez Vous | | 11 | Mr. Bobby | | 12 | Papito | | 13 | Chinita | | 14 | Marea | | 15 | Homens | | 16 | Vacaloca | | 17 | Infinita Tristeza |
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