Coconut Rock (Deluxe Edition)
by Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada
LABEL: ESL Music
Was this performed at a late night, downtown club? Improvised jam in the backyard on a Friday afternoon? Or maybe it's the soundtrack to a Latin-fused Guy Ritchie film? Coconut Rock may be all of the above, and Ocote Soul Souns & Adrian Quesada have offered up a very subtle work that's drenched in mood and atmosphere. The insertion of 'rock' may be a little misleading for an album that wedges awkwardly (though successfully) through the gaps between funk, jazz, lounge, Latin, and even electronic scenes.
The album wields a varied emotional palette from thick, cocky grooves and funky brass lines to absolutely heartbreaking moments, such as on tracks "El Diablo y El Nau Nau" and "Vendendo Saude e Fe".
“However, if you're looking for that relaxed club-cafe mood music, you would be hard pressed to find anything better than this.”
Coconut Rock feels close, intimate, and about as organic as you could probably get without just sitting in a basement or a smokey bar with the band in front of you. The production is no frills and really brings out the warmth and fullness of each instrument, a clarity that's much appreciated when you have up to seven instruments working together in a song. The album is focused mostly on groove and a loose, open vibe like a late night jam session where feel is placed as a higher priority over initial impact.
This element can pose a problem, however: most of the songs on Coconut Rock feel as if they have a lot of build-up to very little payoff. What results is an album that has some difficulty holding an attention span and the records starts to become background music while your focus shifts to something else. However, if you're looking for that relaxed club-cafe mood music, you would be hard pressed to find anything better than this.
The remixes available on the deluxe edition of the record are a somewhat uneven addition. The first three remixes, two of which of the same song (though admittedly, one of the most appealing), aren't so different from their LP counterparts to hold up well. They play more like alternative mixes. On the flip-side, the last two remixes are quite different in sound and feel and offer an interesting alternative to what's featured on the album.
REVIEWED BY NEIL LEVENS
NEIL'S FAVORITE TRACKS: "El Diablo y El Nau Nau" • "Pan, Chamba y Techo" • "Vandendo Saude e Fe"
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