Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso are on a healing journey. Since their 2024 Tiny Desk Concert went viral, the Argentine musicians have channeled their chaotic energy into a heady mix of Latin trap, jazz, funk, and tropical rhythms. Genre-blending in Latin music is nothing new, but timing and execution set them apart, along with an uncanny ability to turn internet absurdism into cool songs, all wrapped in sharp musicianship and rock ’n’ roll panache. Their breakout release, PAPOTA, exemplified their irreverent charm. Named after Argentine slang for the protein powder and pill cocktail that gym bros use to bulk up fast, and nodding to their own rapid rise, PAPOTA smartly distilled newfound fame into self-critique. Pairing their Tiny Desk set with four new songs, the album was accompanied by a short film that turned them into grotesque cartoons of themselves, alternating between looksmaxxing and airbrushed, doll-like looks reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys’ turn-of-the-millennium aesthetic.
PAPOTA was a sweet triumph—a combination of hilarious songwriting and polished production that earned them five Latin Grammys. Then, surprisingly, they announced an indefinite hiatus, citing burnout and bad decisions. They showed up to the Grammys anyway, dressed head to toe in Pantone’s Cloud Dancer and carrying an Erewhon bag stuffed with magnesium and Ashwagandha. Nobody could tell what was going on until, a couple of days later, Sting, of all people, cleared up the mystery. Posing as the CEO of “the Free Spirits Wellness Center,” he delivered a seven-minute monologue—part cult infomercial and part Goop morning routine—that doubled as an album announcement. Enter Free Spirits. With the success of PAPOTA, a more conventional group would have chosen to play it safe—produce another string of hits, laugh it off, and cash in. Luckily, Ca7riel and Paco’s curiosity outweighs the aim to please. Free Spirits is a breakthrough: a chaotic thrill ride that careens through desire, drugs, fame, and fulfillment like a runaway train.
Ambitious and unpredictable from the get-go, the album opens with an Auto-Tuned mantra declaring that “no one comes up with anything new” and “everything is already done,” set over harshened Bollywood-style arrangements. The tongue-in-cheek mood continues on “Goo Goo Ga Ga,” a mix of bossa nova and baby talk that somehow lands as genuine reflection. Over relaxed vocals, Paco meditates on aging and the fear of being forgotten—wanting, in his own words, to be a baby again. It’s mischievous and sweet, a love song that follows the lineage of “Baby Gangsta,” off their 2024 album Baño Maria. Jack Black’s guest vocals might seem calculated to add star power, but instead of sticking out, they dissolve right into Ca7riel and Paco’s absurd, generous world.
The lust, greed, excess, and anxiety that they grappled with on PAPOTA are still there, but this time, the atmosphere doesn’t feel as friendly or accessible. Splayed out across Bulgarian folk music, trance beats, bruxaria atmospheres, samba, and even bits of nueva ola, Free Spirits feels dialed all the way up. Throughout the first half of the record, even in party jams like the standout “No Me Sirve Más” and the polished grooves of “Soy Increíble,” a patina of darkness spreads—foreboding energy channeled into sudden drops and cathartic release. Punctuated by cymbals, whistles, horns, and whispers that mimic background noise at a packed rooftop party, “Muero” plays like the opening scene of a Paolo Sorrentino movie—all coke, champagne, and good vibes—until you find yourself having a panic attack on the dancefloor.
This fear-inducing yet fearless approach propels the second half of Free Spirits into uncharted territory. A hooky rock ’n’ roll number with Sting on guest vocals (“Hasta Jesús Tuvo Un Mal Día”) is followed by a bachata track that enlists Anderson .Paak for an irreverent chorus: “Pussy so good I want to cry.” The joke is the point, and that’s enough, but just as you’re getting comfortable, the floor shifts. Brooding trap beats and snarling vocals work as a momentary comedown, with Paco leading the charge over Fred again..’s pulsing trance. Paranoia and a sense of urgency set in, and with each verse, the narrative grows more ambiguous—perhaps a cautionary tale that success doesn’t come without creeping loneliness, or a vague feeling of nothing, especially yourself, ever being good enough.
But self-doubt doesn’t cloud Free Spirits; it lifts it up. It sounds like the record the duo always wanted to make: a maximalist, open-ended work that mutates at every step and delightfully keeps you guessing. Their voices are as restless as the production beneath them—colliding, harmonizing, and splitting apart with the ease of two people who’ve been making music together since childhood. Combining their undeniable vocal synchronicity and enfant terrible charm, Ca7riel and Paco prove that there is merit in doing whatever you want, whether that’s a marketing stunt, a giant fur hat, or making out in front of everyone. These are trolls with the talent to match.
