Clandestino

Ahh I loved the first half soooooo much. It would've been an easy 5 star, but the other half was a little bit less amazing. Still, I think it deserves to be among my other 5 star albums.
Light 5

I liked this a bit at the beginning but it got tiresome as it wore on. Not for me.

TIL that, in spite of all the spanish in his music, Manu Chao is french?! I was convinced my entire life he was latin american. The first few tracks flow so well into each other. Really vibed with this, 5*
Fuck the reviewers that trash this or any other album only because it isn't in english; what a shitty, close-minded, ignorant take.
Highlights: je ne t'aime plus, desaparecido, bongo bong, luna y sol

Refreshing change of pace

This is what I came here for. I’ve never heard of this guy and have not listened to much of this style of music. So this was a new experience. This album was quite a trip. He sings in three different languages and obviously has a lot of different influences. Somehow it works. This was a lot of fun and I wouldn’t mind listening to more. I think my favorite song is welcome to Tijuana.

Why is French and Spanish rap so much better than English?

Ah Clandestino! A very fun song from when I was learning Spanish! Very chill alt-reggae stylings.

Clandestino is a sun drenched, cross cultural escape. Its reggae rhythms and raw energy are infectious, though the lo-fi, repetitive production can occasionally feel monotonous. Still, its unique charm makes it a memorable, sticky record. "Welcome To Tijuana" is the highlight for me, just pure vibes.

Depending on one's state-of-mind while listening to this album, one might wish to light up a joint, nurse the hangover, or bang year head against a wall till you stop hearing anything but your heart-thumping in your ear.

Somewhere, they will use this album as torture techniques to get the hardest bastards to start talking.

And in any hostal, or backpacker inn, all across the world, this album is staple of the daily playlist...

2 ** because I will respect the effort... but Jezus H Christ, this gets old fast.

kiinnostava kielikattaus, mutta ei musan puolesta ylitä peruslattaria

This was a pretty good album. I really enjoyed it's laid back nature and the mix of styles. It didn't seem super unique or ambitious so I'm giving it a 3, but not a bad listen. 3/5.

Every hostel in the world is required to play this album at least once a day.

Great fun, and probably the most multilingual album I have ever listened to. Only two of them are languages I speak though!

Bored by third song 2/5

2.81 average per track. I actually enjoyed this more than the rating suggests. I think the language barrier prevented me from rating anything higher than 3 and there were a couple 2s in there.

I'd heard "Bongo Bong" on a CD Sampler that came with CMJ magazine back in the day, but I'd never been interested enough to seek out the whole album. That was the right move apparently, as the rest of the album doesn't have the same charm. Quirky stuff, and at times enjoyable, but not anything I'd want to listen to again.

I thought I'd like this one more, but with each song going into one another, it flows so much I can hsrdly tell songs apart, and makes everything blend together. Doesn't help when some songs use the exact same backing music as well. It was alright overall, certainly some good stuff, but it left a lot to be desired. Right down the middle with this one.

Today's listen was very interesting! Spanish/French vocals with a bit of English mixed in! The musical accompaniment was highly influenced by Spanish culture though it sounded like. Beautifully intricate Spanish guitar mixed with modern sampling and rapping techniques left you with a very interesting sound.

What I like about these international albums is that it isn't necessarily something I would ever have discovered on my own. I like hearing how other cultures music have different influences. Even though I didn't understand most of what was said, the beauty of the music that was made still came through.

Overall, a great listen today. Nothing spectacular, but it was still very good!

Favorite songs: Luna y Sol, Clandestino, Welcome to Tijuana, Minha Galera, Mama Call

Least favorite songs: La Despedida

3/5

Vaguely interesting but by no means essential.

Slaps