Mexican magic
I have to confess I was a little bemused when I received the new album from the 'Nortec Collective' in with my usual batch of indie rock and pop review records. For the uninitiated, this group of musicians hailing from Tijuana on the Mexican border specialise in 'nortec music' which according to wikipedia is "hard dance beats and samples from traditional forms of Mexican music such as Banda sinaloense and Norteņo". The Nortec Collective appear to have widened their net somewhat with this third outing though as elements of hip-hop, electronica and jazz are all present in a dizzying mix.
The album kicks off with the "funky" (and I use that term loosely) house of 'Tengo La Voz' a terribly dated hip-hop affair that's so cheesy I'm almost instantly compelled to reach for the fast forward button (but I resist). 'Tijuana Makes Me Happy' witnesses a quite dramatic change in musical direction but even the neat touches of accordion deployed throughout fail to turn this number into anything less than a distinctly M.O.R. affair replete with cringeworthy samples. Thankfully things get considerably better from this point on, 'Funky Tamazula' is a vast improvement on the opening couplet, a largely instrumental, groove laden affair that mixes mariachi trumpets, wah-wah guitars and hip hop beats, it's an impressive exercise in genre blending. The sashaying 'Don Loope' goes one further, folding accordion and elements of electronica into the already brimming pot, it's one of the stand-out moments from the opening half.
At times the Tijuana Sessions suffers from a tendency by the collective to over-egg the omelette but when it hits the spot you won't come across a tastier dance affair this month. The dreamy 'Olvidela Compa' is a case in point proving that sometimes it's better to strip things back to their raw ingredients, it's a summery, laid-back gem and a quite masterful slice of jazzy electronica. A lone accordion wafts over glitchy beats while layers of guitar and organ are revealed from time to time by the superb production. The woozy brass section on 'Autobanda' is similarly wonderful and the lively 'Dandy del Sur' is calling out to be remixed. 'Almada' by contrast is a relatively laid-back affair that veers into acid-jazz territory. 'Colorado' and 'Narcoteque' drift by rather aimlessly and even Calexico can't steer proceedings back on course with the experimental 'Esa Banda en Dub' a baffling and ultimately unrewarding affair. The surging 'Revu Rockers' is the standout number on the album's disappointing closing quarter, jazzy trumpets parping over a lively techno backing. 'Tijuana Bass' runs it a close second, coming on like a latino Specials getting down to business.
'... Volume 3' is an admirable attempt to blend the traditional with the new and when it works the results are genuinely exciting, alas there's a lack of consistency here that makes it a flawed affair. If you're looking to broaden your musical palate though this is definitely the album for you and if the collective can up the ante on 'Volume 4' they really could be capable of crossover success on a major scale.