When disc opener "Mal Amigo" starts, you best clear a path from all angles, as you'll be ineluctably moving at the fiery percussion, salsa rhythms and bouts of horns. Melaza make friends pretty quickly with this infectious first track. From there, things get calm with the sparse "Estas A Tiempo," which uses hushed percussion and restrained horns to tell a story I can only imagine is reflective and sophisticated. 'Fregabook" brings the energy back, and sounds like the soundtrack to a travel package where the beaches are laid out in an endless expanse. Renzo Padilla handles most vocal duties here and they all match up perfectly with the rapid rhythm section, as the remainder of album displays lively horns mixed with proficient percussion, especially on album highlight. "Abusador." Elsewhere, they dip into calmer waters with the aching yet soothing "Inesperado Adios."
With trumpets, trombones, congas, timbales, corps, bongos and several other instruments most people have never heard of, the 14 players here laid this down on analog tape to preserve the spontaneous club feel it emulates so well. In their mission statement, Melaza state they can't recall a time when they would venture to a club and be immediately awed by a new record's 'complexity and beauty.' Well, if you share the same sentiment, to rectify the problem all you need to do is give a listen to Melaza.