Los Lobos are a national treasure. No one has ever combined so many strains of American music so successfully. "Kiko" expanded the band's reach into new areas, as they tried out sampled percussion and vintage wind sounds. Producer Mitchell Froom pointed the way for them, but no matter how far they got from their classic guitar-based style, upon listening, the imprint of Los Lobos is still unmistakable -- the voices and guitars, and the lyrics that describe or allude to the Chicano experience in the U.S. This album may be something of an excursion from Los Lobos' expected sound, but those who know the band's music also know that almost any sound they decide to try will be melded into what they already posess. Los Lobos stand as giants above the others, mostly midgets, of American popular music.
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