This Time

Editors’ Notes After 20 years and nine albums together Los Lobos remains as vital and unpredictable as ever. Opening with the soulful groove of the title track, This Time bursts forth with a creative and eclectic juggernaut that carries through to the triumphantly funky closer “Why We Wish.” In between there are the smoky horns and jazzy feel of “Oh Yeah,” the blistering guitar attack of “Viking” and “High Places,” and the seductive Latin rhythms of “Cumbia Raza” and “Corazon.” The nuanced and complex song arrangements are richly complemented by the ingeniously textured production of Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake. This is the third time in a row that Los Lobos has teamed with the duo of Froom and Blake and the partnership continues to be fruitful (they previously co-produced Kiko and Colossal Head and also joined David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez as members of the side project Latin Playboys). This Time finds the band is as tight and powerful as ever yet still restless and willing to stretch out and experiment.