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Puerto Rican pop punk
Davila 666 - Tan Bajo |
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Review by Tony Bonyata So what if I can't understand one word the Puerto Rican quintet Davila 666 are singing on their second full-length album Tan Bajo? This just proves, to me at least, that music is a universal language that can speak volumes - whatever the jargon may be. While there are certainly many others here in The States (a demographic that this young band are trying to break into) that also won't understand one Spanish word uttered throughout these 14 tracks, for those who are familiar with '60s garage rock, lo-fi punk and even catchy bubblegum pop will know exactly what these guys are talking about.Fuzzed-out electric guitars, energetic rhythms, indelible hooks and smile-inducing harmonies that are downright cuddly dominate peppy numbers such as the opening track "Obsesionao," "De Verdo (Sipa)," "Esu Que Me Haces," "Diablo!!" and the cute poppy track "Noches De Terror" which, despite the title's translation of "nights of terror," sounds like it could pass for a Hispanic Saturday morning cartoon theme song. And while no less addictive, on the number "Yo Seria Otro" the band incorporates a string section and '60s Motown girl-group soul sensibilities that work wonders. Turning to their namesake, Davila 666 also deliver more than just squeezably-cute pop from rock's golden age, as proved on the beastly rockabilly-influenced "Los Cruces," a track that sounds like The Cramps vacationing in San Juan with a case of cheap Mezcal. They also plow through the devilishly frantic punk of "Mala" and "Putitas" with a blistering fervor, and even incorporate a bit of The Velvet Underground's dirgey, chaotic rhythms on "Esa Nena Nunca Regreso." Bottom line is, if you don't mind your pop music performed fast and furious, with a bit of dirt caked under the nails, then the cute and catchy tunes that fill Tan Bajo should be right up your callejon. |