MASTRETTA
Mastretta (Minty Fresh)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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The minute I put this on, I knew it was exactly what I'd been waiting to hear. The opening track of Spanish film composer Marcos Mastretta's newest album is a wonderful combination of lush Latin rhythms and the occasional spy-movie-sounding interlude, while the second track, "Latin Lover," features some wonderful creepy fuzzy Southwest U.S.-sounding guitar. The tracks with actual vocals on here, featuring singers Gema Gorredera, Ana Belén, and Julieta Venegas, are particularly appealing, sexy and danceable and tragic-sounding, all at once, like a well-thought-out Mexican soap opera. I'm not even sure if the music here (all composed, arranged, and composed by Mastretta) is all computer-generated or "real" instruments, because the tonal quality of the accordions, violins, horns, etc. is so good that it could have been performed by a full orchestra or oddball musicians.

© 2003 - Holly Day