It figures that matter-of-fact polyglots like Y La Bamba would vibe with producer Steve Berlin of matter-of-fact polyglots Los Lobos, who warms up Bamba's folk-rocking second record. Frontwoman Luz Elena Mendoza can warble tremulously like a Latina Joanna Newsom, then let rip a robust alt-country holler not unlike that of Neko Case, who joins the band on the title track. Mendoza crafts massed harmonies with co-writer Paul Cameron on "Moral Panic." On "Michoacan," a brisk mariachi-scented party jam, she sings of "dias de la cocaina," "dinero," and "la iglesia catolica." It's an American vision any gringo will recognize.
Listen To Y La Bamba's "Court The Storm":
Related• Photos: Random Notes
