Guitarras y Tambores is
Cola Jet Set's second album, and their first on Elefant following their stint on Subterfuge Records. This disc is another helping of sweet-as-pie, bubblegum-inspired indie pop along the lines of
Saturday Looks Good to Me,
Acid House Kings, and
the Bicycles. And with a couple exceptions -- the jumpy, disco-tinged "En Esta Pista Ya No Se Puede Bailar," the perky "Tonto Corazón" -- this release is just a touch dreamier than
Cola Jet Set's debut,
Contando Historias. It's a drowsy-eyed, jangly affair, and it doesn't hurt that the production is like buttercream frosting -- super smooth, with glints of reverb. So it's probably no surprise that one of the best tracks on the album has the word "dream" in the title -- "El Sueño de Mi Vida" (the band's entry for the 2009 Eurovision preliminaries in Spain) is luminous with
Byrds-style guitar riffs, and "Suena el Teléfono"'s icy-cool hook is irresistible. Both of these tracks were penned by Felipe (formerly of the likeminded group
Los Fresones Rebeldes), and if you were to go by the songwriting credits alone you could say that
Guitarras y Tambores is essentially Felipe's baby. That said, there's a real sense that
Guitarras y Tambores is the work of a whole band. "Chocolate y Té," for example, penned and sung by Cristina, is angular and dark in a way that Felipe's songs aren't. It gives the album a welcome bit of darkness, preventing the whole thing from being too syrupy sweet.
Guitarras y Tambores doesn't fall prey to any second album stumbles -- it doesn't take itself too seriously; it doesn't fall prey to pacing issues; and on top of that, it's a zippy, bubbly, super fun listen. ~ Margaret Reges