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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Let the mutant Grasshopper crawl into your ears., January 25, 2004
I waited over a month before writing this review. The main reason being, Atlas is so different from the first Kinky album that, on first impression, it may seem a completely different group, and will not meet any pre-conceptions you may have of Kinky. It requires repeated listening. Those electronic music fans (many of kinky fans indeed) may find the change too drastic, and I believe some reviews of the album reflect this. Nevertheless, repeated listening allows to find at the core of the songs the same roots that made the original CD so appealing: Funky bass, strong percussion rhythms, and synth loops, which continue to be innovative and used as a recourse, not as a gimmick. Accordion, horns and timbales are also used less prominently, again as part of the "multilayered" construction of the songs but without the purpose of giving a "Latin flavor" just for the sake of it. Here Kinky seems to have inverted the original idea. Electric guitars and vocals are more prominent, and bass, synthesizers and loops are used as enhancers. In Atlas lyrics are also more elaborate, both in English and Spanish. I disagree with people who claim Kinky's lyrics in English are awkward, forced or badly written. Actually, the one with the oddest, silliest lyrics in the album is co-written by Itaal Shur, collaborator with Santana on "Smooth". Perhaps if this was an American band, nobody would be judging syntax or phrasing construction. How many hit songs are out there whose lyrics barely make any sense anyway? I nevertheless agree that all the Spanish lyrics on Atlas are far more elaborated, complex and interesting, and I just wish everybody could understand Spanish, and therefore appreciate the cleverness of songs like "Minotauro" or the sensuality of "Semillas de Menta".
Is it better or worse than Kinky's first effort? Their differences make them difficult to compare side to side, and much will depend on your personal preference. But both are polished, coherent efforts of one of the most inventive and original bands around.I recommend Atlas to anybody that thinks commercial radio music sucks nowadays. If you are still reading this far in the review, you probably do. You know what the greatest thing about Kinky is? Kinky recording efforts pale in comparison with their live acts. Kinky in concert comes alive in ways most bands only dream of, and it is amazing how people who have never listened to a single chord by Kinky (most of the people on the "Unlimited Sunshine Tour" last year) end up jumping and dancing while scratching their heads thinking "who the hell are this guys?"
Do yourself a favor, and go see them.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
good album Kinky atlas, February 24, 2005
On first listen, Kinky are about as south-of-the-border and muy caliente as a college band from Indiana - with grinding machines and chirruping effects, they seem determined to sound as Norte Americano as possible. But this band (from Monterrey) is not in cultural denial, and its explosions of percussion, subtly picked guitar and witty pan-linguistic vocals make Atlas the most original spin on indie-pop in years. Sometimes they sound like a Mexican Talking Heads, yoking clever lyrics to pop-electro; elsewhere they're R.E.M. with an accent, or even a lilting, Latino Beatles. Joyful, sophisticated and prone to sudden bursts of vampire-movie keyboards, this really is a band unlike anything you've heard before. Lame yanqui outfits beware: They're here for your jobs.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Es Muy Bueno, Chicos...En Serio, January 2, 2004
Wait...is The Headphonist a new release from the band Cake?
No..yes..well, sort-of I suppose. John McCrea of Cake makes a guest appearance on the 2nd cut of Atlas and the result is, well, very Cake-like. Is that bad.? Well, no, if you like Cake -- although it may make you wonder if this is a convoluted marketing ploy to win over Kinky fans in the US. Otherwise it's quite a good song that is not only familiarly Kinky, but they employ a fantastic retro Colombian cumbia organ riff about a third of the way into the song. And that makes me forgive them for trying to borrow Cake for a few minutes on a 45 minute album.
And yes, they do use quite a bit of English on Atlas, unlike the first album. And yes, it can be somewhat distracting (in the sense that you might find yourself asking: Why is this band from Monterrey, Mexico singing in English when it sounds so much cooler when they use their native Spanish?)
Overall the album is classic Kinky and the cuts are good, especially Do U Like It?, Pos Que Se Vengan, Minotauren, and Maria Jose.
If you have the first, buy this one. If you have neither, buy both.
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