BOSTON RODRIGUEZ – THE PRESIDENT IS DEAD LONG LIVE BOSTON RODRIGUEZ (LITTLE LEAGUE)
October 14th, 2005 by soyo
The title, the artist name and the first 60 or so seconds probably tells you all you need to know about this album. However….just because you can tell a book by its cover, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it the paper used in its production should have been left in tree form being the lungs of the planet.
Yes, indeed the opening track “Where’s the Party?” is a latino party tune splashed with the fiesta colours of funky drum n bass, with extra cowbells, xylophones, piano stabs, sub bass and super happy vocals enquiring where the said party is. Like early DJ Marky? Then this should get you grinning!
Boston Rodriguez is a cheeky young upstart that won himself a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music and is responsible for playing all of the instruments on his debut album. Previous record outings have seen BR appear on pioneering DnB labels Moving Shadow and on LTJ Bukem’s extra curricular label Cookin’ at the tender age of 16. Sickening eh?
Tracks like “Live at Fillet Soul ‘77” show BR’s talent off, with slabs of piano , upright bass rolling over the music like a dog in shite, a spiraling flute and plenty of “wakawaka” chunky funky guitar. Trying a bit too hard to sound as if it was recorded in ’77 ? Maybe, but there is no denying Snr Rodriguez’s talent. Quality does waver a little “Who killed Shredder” (no melody samba band yawn) “Looking Forward to New Years Eve 3000 Already” (a less manic sound alike of John B’s DnB “Aye Caramba”) “Play Good” (not quite DnB, not quite funk, sub QSO tune that could work live however). But there is enough decent stuff to make you carry on listening. BR seems particularly good at invoking the spirits of Gilberto and Valle on tracks like “Transitional” and “Somewhere in the middle of nowhere”. My personal favourite is the downtempo “Evolution”, its echoey flute screeches are subtly layered and are overlaid with a beautiful laid back but never cheesy sax melody, the latin influences kept firmly in the drawer for this one.
A very promising start from a very talented guy, the planned live shows should be ones to watch out for.
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