So here’s the theory – take the members of a west-coast punk band, in this case The Bronx, have them write a mariachi album and release it under a modified moniker – Mariachi El Bronx – then send them off to tour playing mariachi sets as Mariachi El Bronx and punk rock sets as The Bronx. Keeping up?
Well, despite the oddness of the concept, El Bronx (like all their albums to date, it’s self-titled) actually works very well. Mariachi is a traditional Mexican music and has been ingrained into Californian culture as a result of the large Hispanic population there, and Mariachi El Bronx are clearly skilled at playing and writing in this style.
The result is a well-composed, catchy, singalong album, though one which is sung in English – a slightly odd move considering mariachi’s very Mexican identification, you might rather expect them to have gone the whole hog and written the lyrics in Spanish too. But to fault such a brave move for these reasons would be no more than a quibble. Ultimately, ‘El Bronx’ is yet another mark of their ability to stay one step ahead of the pack.
www.thebronxxx.com
Latest content from Mariachi El Bronx
More content from 'Witchita Recordings'
