Sublime

Alex Cuba, a name well known to Cuban-music fans, brings a new angle to his easy-listening, groove-based sound with Sublime. The idea was to capture his music while ‘in that moment of higher truth… while it's still hot’ – and this definitely comes across: the arrangements are simple, effective and from the heart. His stylistic influences are helpfully mapped out on the CD notes, and they span from songo, chachachá, mambo, trova, nueva trova, bolero, bossa nova and changuí all the way through to pop, rock, funk, soul and jazz.

Cuba performs an impressive array of everything we hear – both instrumentally and vocally – on the album, save for precious contributions from Kelvis Ochoa, Omara Portuondo, Alex Ferreira and other star featured artists. His arrangement choices are fantastic, revolving around delicate guitar, crisp shakers and warm double bass (particularly special is the use of pizzicato bass on opener ‘Yo No Sé’). In a move away from his heavier beginnings, Cuba introduces a new aspect of his musical personality with the more relaxed tunes of this album. But it seems to this reviewer that the toning-down of his past influences in favour of ballad-like tunes makes for a more generic sound. Not quite sublime, but getting there.