REVIEW: Latin Playboys, Dose (Atlantic)
- Tracey Bleile
For people who really dig music that exists on the fringes, the clever experimental quartet of the Latin Playboys -- comprised of David Hidalgo and Louie Perez of Los Lobos along with their longtime producer companions Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom -- have brought forth their second release, named appropriately and with a wink, Dose. The music is on the fringes stylistically, geographically and emotionally, but with little effort, the Playboys drive you on over to their side of town. They bring you into their world by incorporating as they have always done so well, many disparate influences, and back it up with tons of great percussion and an equally huge amount of flair.
It's about being allowed to listen in on the stories, like the comical, tinny mariachi backdrop to the universal story of a family outing in "Ironsides," or the beat poetry lyrics set against a tribal beat speaking of the isolation of race in "Dose." The playfulness is mixed in with the sadness, and the weirdness of the samples is tempered by the humor of the creation. Forays into downright funk ("Locoman") and sultry R&B, with some backing vocals courtesy of Wendy & Lisa (perhaps a small favor being returned, as Blake produced their latest release) on "Lemon 'N Ice" balance out the hootenanny of ethnic folk, Nortena and street samples signify Froom has been turned loose once again ("Nubian Priestess," "Paula Y Fred" are salted in among the more straight-forward tunes).
The tableau presented are all different colors and hues of emotions, and at the risk of sounding terribly naive, it is incredibly pleasurable to be able to experience what the Playboys have to offer, and appreciate something so very different without any sense of alienation. This Dose is eye-opening and mind-expanding in a ridiculously healthy way.
