POLLO DEL MAR
The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (MuSick)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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I was starting to worry about these guys. Hadn't heard from 'em in a while. As one of the classiest and most talented bands on the instro surf scene, we couldn't afford to lose Pollo Del Mar. So where should they resurface but on MuSick Recordings? Perfect. The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea is every bit as powerful, dramatic and mysterious as their debut release, The Ocean Is Not For Cowards, and maybe more so. There seems to be more focus on beautiful melodies, though they've had the good sense not to let the melodies sap the underlying power of the songs. Jefferson Turner (bass) and Chris Thomas (drums) keep everything churning while Ferenc Dobronyi and Jono Jones supply the ocean mist on tunes like "Jonny Foo: Ninja Chiropractor" (is that a great title or what?!) and the sonic butt kicking on others like "PT 666." That happens to be my favorite song on the disc, and not just because it quotes "Baby Please Don't Go" right in the middle of a musical hurricane. If you like reverb-drenched power and near-chaos in your instro surf music as much as I do, this is a must-have.

© 2000 - DJ Johnson