Tempestad

This one takes me back to the 90s, when record labels threw money at bands to make arena-filling rock that revealed a chasm between ambition and the know-how required to make a great album. The result was often a mish-mash of hooky singles, rock-outs and little tasters of what the band might actually sound like if not surrounded by execs. That is certainly the case with this debut from Honduran singer Nohe and her US/Mexican band of cohorts.

There are some of the worst lightweight pop-rock power ballads I’ve heard for 30 years here, ‘Como Una Canción’ and ‘Mal Amor’ both possessing a chugging nondescript verse leading to a chorus upon which Nohe blasts out her lungs at full volume, opting for bombast over soul or depth. ‘Oda a Tu Adios’ tries to be some kind of Supernatural-era Santana rock ballad, but falls flat, while the Nirvana cover doesn't bear talking about. Yet there is light. ‘Cumbia Buena’ and ‘Cumbia Triste’ are Americana-takes on cumbia where the band don't seem intent on smashing through the ceiling, though I have to admit I almost gave up on this before getting to them.