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OzomatliStreet Signs Concord/Shock Hola gringos, Ozomatli is back with their Latin, African, hip-hop, jazz fusion 'Street Signs' just in time for... well, winter actually. A band associated with festivals and general sweaty, summer spirit, Ozomatli have become one of the most praised live acts over the past few years. With their faultless live record I was wondering how they would scrub up on disc. Although generally of high calibre in their own right, their previous albums have not been as impressive as their whole live kit and festive caboodle. However, I'm happy to report that 'Street Signs' continues the high standard of the their previous releases and pushes the bar even closer to the elusive live feel. With a new Middle Eastern influence, Ozomatli have completed their global sound and produced an album that captures their flair for both parties and politics. The swaying strings of Believe, performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, could send any cobra into a mesmerising dance before a block party anthem erupts on Street Signs and Saturday Night. Like many American bands Ozomatli have their two bob worth to share on the state of America. Expressing both a passionate love for and painful disappointment in "Her," (Who Discovered) America? is a sultry love song in the vein of the Beastie Boys' Open Letter To NYC. America is described as an uncontrollable lover: "All her contradictions were tearing me apart / ...she stops at nothing just to get what she wants." And what Ozo album would be complete without the booming bass tones of Chali 2na rhyming over an Egyptian rhythm? In fact, 'Street Signs' is exactly that, 'complete'. With sounds and styles spanning the globe, changing tempos and rhythms and a bonus disc featuring no less than four kinds of fun, Ozomatli have created their best album yet.  |
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