Rayuela

Named after a novel by Julio Cortázar in which the narrative can be read in two different ways, the second album from LA-based Cuñao pitches itself as a concept album, bringing together multiple ideas that can be similarly reorganised. But isn't this the case with most albums? How many can truly only be listened in one way? Minor gripes aside, the main issue with this album is a lack of focus, which may or may not be due to this unnecessary concept. First off, it must be stated that there are some decent songs here; ‘Lluvia’ shifts from an undulating violin melody into a bouncy Eastern European folk ditty, ‘Atlantis’ inhabits swooning Calexicoesque terrain and ‘Quita la Mano’ has a rousing chorus, if nothing else. But these are exceptions. Too often the vocals are underwhelming and the music finds itself in some folk-rock vortex that is neither Latin, Balkan nor Americana but somewhere in between that simply feels confusing. Then there are a number of instrumental tracks, each performed solely by a different member of the group, that add even more obfuscation. It's like listening to the soundtrack to a film, but without the film, feeling like you're only getting half the story.