paco loco trio

"There is nobody in the world like Paco Loco. I can say this with absolute certainty. I've made records with Paco, toured with Paco, vacationed with Paco and even was responsible for talking Paco into his only sip of an alcoholic beverage in his life (cognac- and he immediately spit it out from his mouth).

Considering that, I guess it's hardly surprising that there's really nothing in the world like “Aloha", the latest record from the PACO LOCO TRIO. I've been listening to this record recently as I travel around the US and It has been a perfect soundtrack for every scenic vista-the deserts of California, the mountains of Montana, the endless Starbucks of Seattle. After all, how many records can simultaneously make me think of Lou Reed, DJ Shadow, Lloyd Price (“Stagger Lee,” I believe), the noisiest guitar hero thrash of the early 90s, glam rock of the 70's, easy listening pop of the 60s and doo-wop of the 50s. And then there's the final track "Mishima Bolivar", a hypnotic mantra which clocks in at just under 40 minutes. I mean, this record is wild.

You think you know where it's going and then it's takes you in a whole new direction just moments later. Just like Paco himself. Paco is a genius in the studio. We all know that. He is a cathartic, anarchic wizard with a guitar in his hands. Old news. But what continues to surprise and delight is Paco's surreal delights as a lyricist. I loved his stream of consciousness, cut-and-paste stories he delivered as the leader of Sangrientos but this time he has found a sonic palette to match his lysergic vision. I don't have a lyric sheet for this record. But I do know that the oddest phrases jump out at the most random moments, often leaving me to wonder “Did He Really Say That??”.

But that's Paco-simultaneously great guy and mad scientist. And if the frequent response to “Aloha” is something along the lines of “Did He Really Say/Do/Sing/Think That,” it also makes you want to listen to each song again the moment it's finished. This is a fantastic record and definitely unlike anything I've heard this year. And that's hardly surprising. Why? Because there's nobody in the world like Paco Loco".


--STEVE WYNN
Somewhere in North Dakota - STEVE WYNN