Tin Can Trust

by

Los Lobos

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Is it out of the question to suggest this is the greatest American Rock N Roll band of all time? Not as far fetched as you may think. If the criteria is longevity, consistency, and superior quality, is there another band that can lay claim? For my money this is their best work since the ambitious and highly original "Kiko" in the 90's. This is topical, powerful material, the title track and "Burn It Down" are somber laments about today's times, where people simply can't make ends meet. These downtrodden stories are complemented by great music, played by a band at the peak of it's collective powers. The Hidalgo-Perez songwriting team is as good as it gets, telling compelling stories without being preachy. The music itself is spot on throughout, with the only misstep being the collobaration with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, the hippie pathos of "All My Bridges Burning" is out of line with the tenor of the rest of the songs. There's still some fun to had, Cesar Rojas Spanish language gems rock full bore, as does the instrumental "Do The Murray" The cover of the Dead's "West L.A. Fadeaway sounds like Garcia and company without the sloppiness. Los Lobos, America's greatest rock band of ALL TIME!! This disc just might cement that legacy.

Yet another example of a bunch of great musicians falling prey to the "every great artist has one or two bad releases" trope. I can't believe the reviews I'm reading -- are we listening to the same album? What a letdown...I don't even know where to start with this one. And if I read one more bit of fluff about how "Tin Can Trust" is as good as "Kiko" or "The Town and The City" I think that I'll have to get my eyes checked.

Anyway -- the lyrics are horrendous, the rhymes are obvious and laughable, and the music itself plods along with none of the aplomb of any of the group's previous efforts. Cesar's now-standard album combo of a cumbia and a norteno are barely passable retreads of ANY of his past work, and the rocker with Robert Hunter leads me to question the former Dead lyricist's self-judgment. I'm also questioning the cover of "West L.A. Fadeaway" -- was that really necessary? Meanwhile, David's and Louie's tunes shamble from nowhere to nowhere with barely concealed sloth and somnolence, with the two best -- meaning acceptable -- songs ("Jupiter" and "27 Spanishes") sounding like a better Lobos tune from a past work and a tongue-in-cheek yet resigned version of "Cortez The Killer," respectively. The tossed-off instrumental gets tiresome after about 30 seconds, and reminds one too much of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Scuttle Buttin.'"

Don't believe the hype -- "Tin Can Trust" lives down to its name, and there is absolutely no way that this work is anywhere as excellent as the group's past albums.