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By John McCarty, Staff Writer -- mccarty12@up.edu
You don't need to be fluent in Spanish to appreciate the complex and masterful rock of Omar Rodriguez Lopez on "Cizaña de los Amores," his 17th solo album. Lopez, the guitar-playing backbone of Mars Volta notoriety, blends progressive rock with psychedelic and Latin fusion elements to sculpt an album that is catchy and accessible to a range of musical palates.
"Cizaña de los Amores" features vocal performances by Lopez's girlfriend Ximena Sarinana and Lisa Papineau of progressive rock group Big Sir backed up by Juan Aldarete de la Peña on bass and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez on drums, organ, piano and synths. Literally meaning "the weeds of love," the album, musically speaking, has been described as "the Mars Volta light" by several critics.
Without sacrificing musical quality or creativity, "Cizaña de los Amores" takes the recognizable sound of the Mars Volta in a pleasant and more mainstream direction. Ranging from dark and haunting to upbeat and airy, Lopez demonstrates the full scope of his compositional abilities with songs like "Corazon" and "Carne de Perro." Both Sarinana and Papineau bring phenomenal talent to the group and add to the Latin flavor of the music with their haunting and melodic vocals.
Whether you're a longtime Mars Volta fan or merely looking for something new and exciting to caress your eardrums, "Cizaña de los Amores" won't disappoint. So, if you're looking for some new music, give Lopez's enticing combination of progressive rock and Latin styling a listen.
