Please note this is an old page and Fly Global Music has now moved. Please follow this link and search for the entry in the new site.

The opening track is a winner. Tight brass punctuates a slick, bass-heavy riff and a catchy chorus in Bandolera Era. You get the feeling that this is a really fun band to catch live.

Unfortunately, it goes down hill with a shameless haste in Hey Mama a ska-inflected swill of rock and roll cliches made even worse by a sort of Shabba imitation in the middle. If that doesn't make you cringe, I'm Your Poppet will floor even the most schlock resistant. This time a really sad 'rap' section ads that special something, turning a bad song into a real stinker. I could go on but suffice to say that this is a band that should not be allowed to write songs in English.

SeÒor Presidente, in contrast has something to say and a great beat and even some scratching and sampling that -- while not entirely innovative -- does actually work.

So American Us is a mixed bag. On the plus side there is a refreshing variety of musical influences and lots of experimentation. On the other hand, a lot of it doesn't quite come off. Lyrically, the songs in English -- especially the two noted above are just so many cliches strung together -- so they need to do something drastic with that or stop singing in English as it is fouling up their album.