#331: Ozomatli - Street Signs (2004)

Zack: This may take the award for weirdest world music album we’ve listened to, if only because I was constantly thrown off guard. Up until track 3 (when I finally checked), I was desperately trying to figure out why Redman was apparently a member of this Latin Rock band. Turns out he’s not, but they have an incredibly convincing Redman impersonator who drops in on songs every once in a while with some pretty sick verses. Beyond that, they also work in some rock, alternative, funk, and jazz in with their Latin flair. It was a lot to process. If I’m faulting this album at all, it’s for that. It’s hard to get your bearings on an album when it is so violently flipping between genres, even within songs. I tried to adopt a mentality similar to the positionless style of play sweeping the NBA (that is to scrap the boundaries of genres and just listen to the music), but it was just too much. There arEme fusions, and then there are concoctions. Street Signs is an example of the latter. But when the proportions are right, Ozomatli really bring it. Things just click every once in a while, and then the album really seems like something special. I particularly liked the first three tracks of the album, which really blew my hair back.

Favorite Tracks: Street Signs; Believe; Love and Hope

Emily: As a respite from working on my law review comment these past few days and to distract myself from the shitty weather we've been having, I've spent a bunch of time researching places for Zack and I to go on vacation when the semester is over. The plan is to go somewhere warm, with a beach and good food. Today my search led me to look at San Juan, Puerto Rico as a potential option. It's tropical and they have beautiful beaches, plus some history and a lot of food. I turned on Street Signs with Puerto Rico on my mind, and for a few minutes I felt like I was there. Or if not there exactly, then on some other beach in Latin America with a drink in my hand and a band playing Latin fusion-funk in front of me. Turns out Ozomatli is from LA, but that doesn't even matter. The sound of this album captures modern Latin music in seemingly all of its iterations - from funk to jazz to rock to rap and everything in between. It's a combo that frequently sticks, creating a sound that is at once global and distinctly Latin. I'll definitely be listening again when I want to be transported away from the ice and snow to a land of palm trees and blue seas - no plane ticket required.

Favorite Tracks: Love and Hope; Believe; Dejame en Paz