For someone who listens to lots of ambient electronic music and doesn’t always care about lyrics, you’d think I’d be a bigger fan of instrumental music. Yet, I am not. Not only have I never liked most orchestral soundtracks, but I find most atmospheric post-rock bands to be boring.
I realized early on that, while I might not focus on what the singer says, I very much want to enjoy how they sing. The voice matters. It doesn’t have to be a classically “good” one either, but it definitely needs to enhance the music. And if I happen to like the actual words, then all the better.
So I was shocked by how much I dug the work of Los Bitchos.
Currently based in London, this all-woman quartet has crafted a catchy and groove-laden album of the highest order. Released on City Slang, Let the Festivities Begin! delivers 11 examples of glittery surf rock fused to fantastic examples of contemporary world music. Each member hails from a different part of the globe, and that international perspective guides the direction and feel of these tunes.
The band roots its captivating aesthetic in creating a big vibe and delivering a bigger payoff. It’s Khrangbin hanging out with Link Ray, Mdou Moctar riffing with Morricone, Tinariwen flexing with Dick Dale. This music gets you smiling, shimmying, and shaking with your friends on the dance floor until late into the night.
Most tracks are centered around Serra Petale’s thin, warbling guitar, while the supplementary elements flesh out the extended jam. Josefine Jonsson builds sensational bass lines with lovely movement, while Agustina Ruiz and her keytar offer splendid textures akin to ‘60s Tropicália. I dig the drumming of Nic Crawshaw the most, as her rhythmic anchor allows everyone else to dig into the melodies.
It kinda feels wrong picking standout tunes on this all-around celebration of an album. But it’s also important to share some specific insights into how Los Bitchos operates. “Pista (Fresh Start)” gleams like the morning sun on an empty beach, as Petale’s loping guitar phrases caress your ears like the tides.
With “Good to Go!,” the band delivers a mid-tempo jam perfect for strutting around the boardwalk in the late afternoon. Crawshaw’s crisp stick work strikes the perfect mood for finding your friends and looking for mischievous fun as the night approaches.
However, it’s “Las Panteras” that threatens to set the album ablaze.
Jonsson’s thick bass licks get your tummy rumbling, sitting the stage for her bandmates to develop an intoxicating swirl of sounds and sensations. When the song arrives at its latter third, the tempo kicks up several notches, creating a triumphant end to the night.
What I found most appealing about Let the Festivities Begin! is how the music doesn’t sit still stylistically, but it never feels fractured or distracted. Los Bitchos weaves together classic ‘60s U.S. surf, Turkish modalities, Berber drones, Middle Eastern syncopation, and Jamaican dub – and it all makes sense. To top it off, a Spector-ish, “Wall of Sound” type of production fuses together magnificent melange of sounds and influences.
This is party music.
It’s bright, bold, and beautiful, but never one-note. The songs feel easy, breezy, and chill, but the band’s tight musicianship creates well-honed grooves that unfold deeper complexities with each listen. It’s everything I want in an instrumental rock album, right down to the sharp yet playful energy laced throughout.