Inspector “Ska A La Carta Vol. 1” album review
Inspector’s full-length Ska A La Carta Vol. 1 album begins with their highly popular “Me Estoy Enamorando” single, a cover of a song that was first made famous in the 1990’s by Tejano group La Mafia.
With a delicious and varied musical menu consisting of renditions of Spanish pop classics, emo rock, Motown, tropical, lambada and Russian music as presented by a number of special guests, Ska A La Carta Vol. 1 is a succulent feast of high-energy and creative arrangements that gives a freshness to all the classic songs covered on this new album by the Mexican ska veterans.
Tony Hernandez from El Gran Silencio joins Inspector on the romantic vallenato song “Osito Dormilón” made popular by Bimomio de Oro. The beautiful complexity of this new version lies in the combination of its tempo, which is faster than the original, and the sensibility of the vocals, which are carried by Inspector’s lead vocalist, Big Javi, and Hernandez, in the same melancholic sentiment as the original song.
One of the most interesting songs on the album is the remake of The Cure’s “Fascination Street”, which features Nimrod, the English/Jamaican former singer of Mexican cult reggae band Bambu. Sang in English, Inspector’s rendition takes the instrumentation of the original song and turns it upside down. On one note, the bass guitar on The Cure’s version takes the lead and drives the song while the guitars and keyboard fill in layers above the bass line. On this new version, it is Fabian’s guitar that takes the lead, with the bass, brass and a second guitar gliding over the guitar chords. Noticeably, the combination of Big Javi and Nimrod’s vocals channel that of Robert Smith as they deliver the lyrics with the same feeling of angst as the famed singer.
Perfect for your upcoming New Year’s Eve parties, the rebel of the accordion, Celso Piña lends his accordion chops and voice to the classic “El Año Viejo”, which was made famous by La Sonora Santanera, Mike Laure and others.
Other notable cuts on the album are “¡Cuidado!” featuring Vooddoo Glow Skulls; Juan Gabriel’s “Yo No Nací Para Amar”; the 70’s Spanish classic, “Te He Prometido” from Leo Dan and the Motown classic by the Temptations, “My Girl”.
Besides all the great music this album offers, Ska A La Carta Vol. 1 also gives us an inside look at what the members of Inspector grew up listening to and inspired by. It was a wise choice that saxophonist and founder Jesus “Padrino” Arriaga produced the album because the love they have for this music is evident, as the arrangements maintain the essence of the original songs but with the unique Inspector touch.
The album is currently available at Bolochos ska shop and Amoeba Record stores in L.A.
