I remember when The Bronx first appeared on the scene that there was a tremendous amount of buzz surrounding them. Not being one to dismiss things because there is hype around it (as sometimes the hype is well deserved), I decided to check them out. Quite simply, I didn’t get it at all and stopped paying attention. I have a lot of friends who enjoy the band and when they made their transformation from The Bronx into Mariachi El Bronx, the hype machine went into full effect again. Having dismissed the band’s previous work, friends recommendations to check out the mariachi version of the band fell on deaf ears. After seeing that the band was now going to be opening dates for the Foo Fighters later this year, I decided to give Mariachi El Bronx a try.
What we have here is a perfectly palatable record, but nothing that makes me want to sing their praises from a rooftop. I suppose a caucasian punk band from Los Angeles playing Latin music is somewhat of a novelty, but given the prevalence of Latin culture in Southern California, it also isn’t terribly surprising. The band are excellent players and the first song “48 Roses” is actually quite catchy and “Fallen” is a great ballad, but this album, to me, falls into the category of background music. If my girlfriend and I ever have a dinner party where we serve Mexican cuisine, then I might be inclined to throw this on, but otherwise, this is one of those records that is easy to listen to a couple times and then never revisit.
Grade: C+