GUITARRAS Y TAMBORES, COLA JET SET
Elefant Records, Spain ***
Rating: 65
By Carlos Reyes
Is there a happier and more colorful label than Elefant Records? Probably not (although Mexico's Happy-Fi is pretty ubeat also), everyone knows they love the 90s and their bands look and sound like such decade, except for Guille Milkyway (La Casa Azul), who’s as modern as the next ten iPod generations. Cola Jet Set is part of a quirky and honestly, kind of disturbingly cute musicians consuming the pastel colors and transforming them into music. This band however, has a foot in the 90s and the other one in the 70s. Think of a Parchis reunion without the infant trauma, on the contrary, Cola Jet Set is overdosed with sweetness, sometimes working for it and occasionally unmasking itself to become a monstrous flaw. It’s not as harmful as I’m probably picturing it, but it can be a suffocating experience for those that have trouble consuming bright pop candy. “Guitarras y Tambores” is a girl’s approach to a boy she likes, turns out this guy is a musician and so she has to make some changes to get him to love her. In this sense, the album stays within the boundaries of teenage love songs and youthful optimism. “El sueño de mi vida” is a predictable first single, one that will expand their fanbase but will still not convince the followers of Charades, Niza or El Otro Yo. Putting the lyrics and soft vocals aside, the melodies themselves are quite good, enough transitions to succeed their ambitions. Look for two standout tracks, “Chocolate y Te” is memorable in its own quirky way, while “En esta pista ya no se puede bailar” might just be a sweeter response to La Casa Azul’s “Esta noche solo cantan para mi.” But please, stay away from “Subidubi”, it can’t get more diabetic than that, “mi dubi dubi chup chup."
