Muchacha, Los Románticos de Zacatecas Madame, México
Rating: 76
By Jean-Stephane Beriot
Their rock is as melancholic as their name, Los Romanticos de Zacatecas debut LP dazzles in adolescent rock and shines on the progressive side of melody. After a well-mannered, well-served self-titled EP, the band is makes the big step, and they do it right. This is a band that’s effortlessly catchy without being simple; they strike for clarity and at the end, that’s what makes a band have both, transcendence and crowd-pleasing appeal. Songs such as “Nada Puedo Hacer” and “Lo Sabes Tu” from their previous release had people comparing them to Vampire Weekend from every corner; the songs in Muchacha are self-defining, and far less concerned with Vampire’s post-punk summer delirium.
Under the production of Molotov’s Tito Fuentes and Paco Ayala, Los Romanticos de Zacatecas sing about the heart, about relationships and everything in between; the breakups, the intensity, stress and all those lovely side effects of love. With such broad and unifying themes, it’s no surprise the opening track is titled “Corazon.” For an entrance, this song sets in a full speed tone where the band sounds confident, enough to throw in some roars claiming they’re simply out of control. The album’s first single “Volver a Querer” is smooth within all its riffs, the drums on the other hand, command the song to that cycle of coming back, “cuando solo hay una forma de sentirme tan bien, solo me queda volver a quererte otra vez.”
Other songs in the album sound deliciously vintage, on the lines of Enjambre and Fother Muckers, especially in the tricky “Aunque Tu Ya No Me Quieras” which starts great and gets into some weird post-ska wave that’s a bit hard to assimilate. While not every track in Muchacha is attractive, but even the underwhelming tracks like “Te Das Cuenta?” and “Deberias Sentirte Bien” bring the band closer to finding an identity. The band sounds amazing in “Si No Estas” and “Muchacha,” you’ll find yourself shoegazing to these songs and humbling them when you least expect it. Overall, Muchacha is a stirring debut LP, uneven at times but nonetheless impressive, rock songs for lovers.