Coupling a Brooklyn-bred garage rock with a sassy southwestern styling might seem as unfitting a marriage as beer and tequila, but with their latest release, En Este Momento, the culturally-infused quartet Cordero showcase a sound that is anything but desperado.
Vocalist/guitarist Ani Cordero chaperones her band through a whirlwind montage of guitar riffs, trumpet solos and flamenco-laced grunge, encrusted with seductive vocals and a tantalizing rhythm. Eclectic and exotic, the band provides an outfit for all corners of the dance floor — the salsa-ers and the head-bangers, the criers and the vomiters will discover their beat to at least one of the album's 11 flavor-assorted tracks.
Although rock en Espanol is gaining momentum in all pockets of the globe, Cordero offers more than just Spanglish rhymes and south-of-the-border electric edge; their Bloodshot Records debut En Este Momento draws inspiration from as polarizing of sources as Pearl Jam and Santana. A child of punk-rock and Latino-flair, the album employs a sound so intensely magical, it's sure to be the needed tool to transform the band from indie-rockers to social leaders of the New York City music scene.
The title track kicks off the album, a progressively fast-paced number that breeds gritty riffs with salacious, tongue-twisting Spanish vocals. Unbeknownst to the monolingual American, the lyrics are actually saturated with political undertones, criticizing the oppression confronting a post-Sept. 11 society. Truly a post-modern band, Cordero hides the profoundness of their work under a Spanish-threaded blanket of addictive hooks, concealing from the dancers what they're really shaking their bon-bons to.
Alternating languages, the following track, "Heart in Me," begins with a saucy trumpet, but as soon as Ani unleashes her sovereign voice, the song manifests an Arabian chamber-pop feel, an exotic, parading number catered to royalty. But what plagues "Heart in Me" and the succeeding "Come on Dear" are the redundant lyrics, drowning the otherwise brilliant songs in their modest running time.
But it would be premature to automatically label Cordero as Spanish successes and English flops, especially before witnessing the evoking smash "Close Your House Down." Bloodshot Records is banking on this track, and it's unlikely to disappoint. Instrumentally fierce and vocally seductive, it's a punkish song that blends a building tempo with multifaceted percussions and bass and tops it off with Ani's Broadway-sexy vocals, making the song perfect for the beach, basement or bedroom.
Perhaps it has something to do with the deranged bull ripping apart the album's cover, but the entirety of En Este Momento is reflective of a rock 'n' roll rodeo. Cordero has consolidated every single rodeo-esque emotion into a 40-minute album — the thrill and the excitement, the fear and the trepidation, the camaraderie and the culture, and added New York gritty rock.
Listening to En Este Momento is like witnessing a bullfight in Central Park — a hybrid of two artistically distinct cultures that somehow manage to create a spontaneous, unprecedented affair. The Northeast and Southwest may be cornered on opposite side of the country, but Cordero has exceeded all expectations by fusing two seemingly unfitting styles into one cohered collection.
"Gone In A Gamble" reflects a jazzier, smoother side of Cordero, as Ani's vocals take second place to the empowering percussions, coy horns and revering guitars. The following "Don't Let Them Destroy You," in contrast, subdues the instruments and incites the vocals, allowing Ani to soulfully showcase her talent. Lyrically, the track sparks passion, and with the biting lines "We could make our new life / far away from these states / but wherever we go / there'll be those who don't know / that one day they will reap just what they sow / but you can't let their small minds destroy you," it becomes clear the band has an agenda deeper than simply kindling a worldwide dance craze.
Although Ani Cordero shepherds her namesake group to success, it is really the underrated band that anchors En Este Momento. The variety of instruments they play with such precision yields the clumsiest of listeners to saunter their way to the dance floor. Together, Cordero is comprised of four diverse, irreplaceable individuals who blend their gifted musicianship to create artistic bliss.
They'll be bringing their New Yorkish Southwest vibe to our wholesome Midwestern town, playing at Café Montemarte on March 12. And like most raw, coming-of-age bands, their album can't do justice to the passion they can exude during a live performance. So get out the red cloaks and find the nearest bullring, señores y señoras, because Cordero is dangerously exciting, wickedly entertaining, and they're going to make you dance.
Rating: 4 out of 5
