It would be easy to dismiss the Puerto Rican quartet
Da' Zoo as mere
Black Eyed Peas imitators with a Latin lilt. Granted, they do share a similar lineup (a couple rapper/singers and a girl to sing the hooks), a similarly slick and totally Pop-with R&B additives-musical approach, and write the same kind of songs that (usually) hit the spot right between naggingly catchy and completely nagging that the
BEP specialize in. What
Da' Zoo add to the
BEP's formula on their self-titled debut album is a Day-Glo™ sense of fun and frolic that places the band closer to
LEN or
Fannypack on the easygoing good-times spectrum. They sound like they are having fun making the music instead of working hard so that you will have fun listening to it. That's a trap that snares many pop projects, but not
Da' Zoo. They romp through frothy jams ("Cuchi Cuchi," "Ponte Ready"), teen pop love songs ("TU," "Chitu") and joyous pop/rockers (the positively giddy "Pajamas") like goofy kids without a care in the world. Even the ballads like "Otro Love" and "Cerce de Mi" have a bounce to them that keeps things light and enjoyable. Anyone looking for social relevance or emotional depth is in the wrong place, but if you want non-stop silliness and carefree entertainment,
Da' Zoo should be one of your first stops. The only thing that holds the album back from greatness is the lack of a huge song like "Steal My Sunshine" or "Camel Toe." Still, it's an impressive debut that could teach the band they imitate a few things about how to make a pop record that really pops.