Combo Chimbita
Ahomale
Anti
If you’ve ever suffered buyer’s remorse after shelling out for a release promising psychedelic world music and getting only some tepid pop with a few seconds of fuzzed-out guitars and maybe some conga drums, do I have an album for you. Combo Chimbita’s second full release, Ahomale is a perfect blend of several traditional styles of Latin music and the heavy guitars and structure of more modern rock.
Carolina Olivero’s vocals are a force of nature throughout Ahomale, especially on the title track where she ranges from soothing crooning to a masterful howl. Nino Lento’s guitar switches from an Ennio Morricone spaghetti western influence to a heavy, pounding chord, mirroring Olivero’s vocal styles.
The synth-heavy “El Camino” is probably the most modern-sounding track on the album, with “Revelacion (Candela)” the most psychedelic with heavy echoed fuzzed-out guitar and bass breaks contrasting the upbeat, drum-heavy song. Anchoring it all are Olivero’s searching, wailing vocals, imbuing the track with a mystical, otherworldly feel.
Fans of early Goat or the World Music Networks compilations of psychedelia will find much to love here, as will listeners searching for a futuristic blend of the old and new.
