the sojourner

Did you hear the new album by Los Lobos? Probably not and that’s too bad. They’ve put out a great new album, some of their best work since the 1992 release of Kiko.

You don’t have to be Hispanic to enjoy this band from East Los Angeles, though it may help and you may not even notice how well they seamlessly blend bluesy ballads, revved-up Tex-Mex, guitar warped psychedelia, and various Latin styles from Cumbia, Norteno flourishes and Mariachi along with a Celtic spice for added flavorings, compressing all of them into their distinct sound.

This band deserves to be heard and quoted.

Critics say The Town and The City is a concept album about immigration. It’s easy to see why. The seeds of this subject appear in the border-crossing tale, The Road to Gila Bend, though this isn’t the first time writer and composers David Hidalgo and Louie Perez have examined this hot button issue.

There is 1984’s “How Will The Wolf Survive?� and 1987’s “By the Light of Moon� and the 1990 song “The Neighborhood� paints a portrait of an immigrant-filled Mexican-American village, a la ELA where my in-laws live.

Unlike Bono, Perez states he doesn’t feel the need to lead a fight for immigrant’s rights, “I have my songs and I have a voice. This is what I work with. And I’m happy with that.� I do not agree with everything Mr. Perez sings, but it’s hard to not admit that The Town and The City is a terrific new album from a group who has been together for over 30 years.

Don’t miss it.

one last thing: Please take a look at the post below, Integrity…it is number 3 in the series. Thanks.