Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust Review

Over the course of a recording career that's poised to enter its fourth decade, Los Lobos are a band who have never shied away from writing about folks struggling to make their way through hard times, and one might argue that in the wake of America's financial meltdown and a recession that won't seem to go away, the rest of the United States is starting to catch up with the East L.A. barrios that have been the locale of the group's most powerful songs. The title cut on Tin Can Trust, Los Lobos' 14th studio album, collects the thoughts of a guy trying to make ends meet collecting cans and bottles, whose wardrobe consists of "a dime store shirt/and two bucks for a good pair," and it's a song that carries more weight than usual in a time where seemingly everyone is having trouble getting by. But later in the same number, the same character tells the woman he loves "I can give you one thing a man can bring," and it's hardly the only moment on Tin Cast Trust where this band of survivors has something to say about simple determination in the face of bad luck. On Tin Can Trust, some folks are trying to repair broken love affairs, others are hoping to outrun hatred and bad luck, and a few are struggling to sort out just where their culture and their history have left them. The musicians in Los Lobos are too smart to think they have the answers to all the questions they pose, but they're clever enough to know that sometimes giving them a good, long ponder can help, and on songs like "Burn It Down," "Jupiter or the Moon," and "27 Spanishes" they offer some powerful food for thought that happens to have some great music attached. Tin Can Trust captures this exceptional band in truly great form -- the guitar interplay between David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas shows both men are playing at the top of their game, bassist Conrad Lozano and drummer Louie Perez are a strong and soulful rhythm section, and Steve Berlin's keys and sax add just the right coloring. These performances are low on ego-driven flash but high on exciting, emotionally compelling music, and as Los Lobos try to sort out what's happening in their neighborhood (and our nation), they still find some room to celebrate a good, sunny day ("On Main Street") and the power of a righteous guitar rave-up ("Do the Murray"). On Tin Cast Trust, Los Lobos prove that tough times don't last, but tough music does, and those are words we can all live by....full text All expectations have been lifted from Los Lobos. The fusion-minded Chicano rockers, whose core has been together 37 years, tried for too long to make ambitious records that overshot themselves and overstayed our welcome. But this new one is among the best of their career, dropping the need to impress. Lobos cut it in Manny’s Estudio in East LA, a no-frills spot that mirrors these unpretentious tunes. The opener, “Burn It Down,’’ sets the stage by building steadily — like Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road’’ — and features meaty backup vocals by Susan Tedeschi. The Stonesy “On Main Street’’ talks about “getting a little dirt on my shoes,’’ while the title track is a populist blues original about surviving the down economy. The group also shows its ties with the Grateful Dead, for which it opened gigs in the ’80s. They nail the groove of the Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway’’ so you can almost smell the patchouli. Guitarist David Hidalgo sounds like Jerry Garcia reborn. And they pair it with the dreamy new “All My Bridges Burning,’’ co-written with Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Lobos also summon a hot dance pulse on two Spanish tracks, the cumbia “Yo Canto’’ and the norteño “Mujer Ingrata.’’ A job well done. (Out tomorrow) STEVE MORSE...full text About the worst thing you can say about Los Lobos is that they might have gotten distracted for a couple of albums. 1992’s landmark Kiko was a near-perfect blend of the established Los Lobos sound—steeped in ‘50s and ‘60s rock and soul, incorporating elements of Hispanic culture—and something new and ethereal. With the help of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, the songs on Kiko sounded like they always had two layers: one that was immediate and earthy, and one with just a shade of dreamy distance. On followups Colossal Head and This Time, you could argue that the band began to favor how a record sounded over its heart. If so, the band quickly righted the ship with the straightahead rock of 2002’s Good Morning Aztlan. Since then, the band have continued to indulge in their love of side projects, and have kept the Los Lobos catalog full with live recordings, a covers record, a release of Disney songs, and one other disc of new material, 2006’s The Town and the City.


The Town and the City was a revelation, but not because it revealed anything unknown about the band. The album didn’t contain anything we hadn’t heard from Los Lobos before, but it was a reminder of just how fluid and graceful the band could be. Its songs felt relaxed and comfortable in a way the band hadn’t sounded since before Kiko. Their latest disc, Tin Can Trust continues that tradition. Overflowing with songs about people facing adversity—be it financial, spiritual, romantic, whatever—Tin Can Trust is soulful. Whether it’s the brooding low-end groove of “Burn it Down” (featuring guest vocals from Susan Tedeschi), the jangly clatter of “Main Street”, or the epic squall of “Bridges Burning”, the songs on Tin Can Trust are uniformly excellent and right....full text