Mastretta

A review of their self-titled album

Already a household name in his home country of Spain, lounge lizard Nacho Mastretta is trying to make a name for himself elsewhere with this new self-titled LP.

Let me start by saying I'm a sucker for moog-intensified retro-lounge music and this album is chock-full of it. It's what the 'Ultra Lounge' series did without the big names attached. What appealed to me most was the effortless Castilian flare to most of the tracks. About half the songs have Spanish lyrics with a variety of sexy female vocalists that blend very well with the accompaniment.

On a sour note, sometimes things get a little carried away. In the two tracks, 'I Want to be in Cuba' and 'Trailer' it's a series of repetitive harshness. A little much for me but I'll tolerate it to get to the good stuff. If you can get past those mentioned then treat yourself to a cocktail put your feet up and relax while Mastretta takes you into his quirky world of exotica rhythms.

So, the only thing I have left to ask is: one olive or two?

Connie Hartmann