David Byrne sure can pick 'em. Si*Sé, another find for his innovative Luaka Bop label, show off their wares in an eclectic bilingual Spanish/English debut.
For the most part the record is cut from the same smooth, jazzy cloth tinged with Latin ambiance. Lead singer Carol C possesses one of those particularly beautiful voices that seduce the listener into a dream state. Both urban and heavenly, the ambient qualities that U.Flow creates are never overly stylized.
The album opens with the somnabulist "Slip Away" that's quickly awakened by provocative percussion and Carol C's sultry vocals. "The Rain (Where Do I Begin)" is much more beautiful than the Oran "Juice" Jones version in the eighties! "Bizcocho Amargo" is a great salsa that combines Grrrl! bravado and techno elements. The perfect dance song, "Cuando" is a song that could go on into the night with its Middle Eastern rhythms. "Burbuja" is a bouncy urban reggae and "Dolemite" is the funky song of the album where Carol C. gets to show off her prowess. The grittiest track , "I Want You To..", recalls the finer, more bewitching moments of Portishead.
Perfect with a bottle of wine and the lights down low, alone or accompanied.
Si*Sé Si*Sé
