Martin Buscaglia – Temporada De Conejos

Artist: Martin Buscaglia
Title: Temporada De Conejos
Label: Love Monk
Genre: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz
Format: CD, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

Few things around at the moment come close to sounding as funky as this new album from Uruguayan singer and songwriter Martin Buscaglia. Full of live instruments and Buscaglia’s soulful Spanish vocals, this will be a real revelation for anyone who appreciates everything from Prince to Gilberto Gil. Opener “Jaula De Motos” is relaxed yet tight, with guitar chords riffing on the famous “chanking” rhythms of James Brown’s pioneering guitarist Jimmy Nolen.

“No Vamos A Parar Nunca” features some tasty distorted bass and some rapped verses that combine to remind of Odelay-era Beck, especially with the wigged out noises that pepper the track in the background. In fact, Beck seems like an influence over the album as a whole given the sheer range of songs featured here. Buscaglia flits brilliantly between styles – breaking out with some smokey 12-bar on “Blues Del Carrito”, doing saccharine-filled pop on “Oda A Mi Bicicleta” or just oddball balladry like on “Fico Fue A La Montana”. But it’s when Buscaglia has his funky cap on that he really excels, like on the tight grooving Spam or the reggae-spirited “Si No Esta Roto No Lo Arregles”. There’s so much glorious variety on this album that it’s almost impossible to categorise it, but it’s a real treat from start to end and definitely deserves to be given some serious listening time.

Review: Oliver Keens