The YoYouMeTú Trilogy: Volume 3

On the final instalment of The YoYouMeTú Trilogy, Peruvian-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Abraham Gomez-Delgado continues the DIY sophistication that so surprised on the first two albums. With his group Zemog El Gallo Bueno, made up of musicians from around New York City, he once again shows a restlessness and inventive approach that keeps the listener on their toes at every moment. Salsa, plena, sing-along ballads and free jazz are the building blocks, but they are toyed with until they become new and peculiar shapes. ‘Quiero Correr’, a simple song about going for a jog, is a funky sax-led romp; ‘Americae’ is Afrobeat seen through a hallucinogenic lens; ‘Sexy Carnitas: A Telenovela’ is a smouldering bolero that builds and builds as the sweat comes dripping down.

While at times there is an impulse to use vocals to catch the eye (some of the vocal effects can be distracting) or to throw too much paint at the canvas, this wilful creativity hides a maturity in the arrangements and vocal harmonies that ensure each track has a solid base from which to work. On the percussive powerhouse that is ‘Motivate’ and the intoxicating groove of ‘The Balance Imbalance Dance’, the group show that they've never been in better health.