Summery in an unexpected way befitting a project whose name translates to "black ice cream,"
Awe Owe puts folk, jazz, electronic, and pop music through a distinctly Latin filter, reflecting
Helado Negro main man
Roberto Carlos Lange's Ecuadorian heritage and Miami upbringing.
Lange is also a member of
Savath & Savalas, joining that group for their 2009 album Llama, and both projects combine tradition with experimentalism in a way that sets off both sides of their sound -- and since
Savath & Savalas and
Prefuse 73's
Guillermo Scott Herren appear here as well, it's easy to see
Helado Negro as a part of an extended collaboration between him and
Lange. However,
Awe Owe has its own nimble yet intimate approach, flitting from the breezy, acoustic album-opener "Venceremos" to "Espuma Negra"'s hazy strumming to "I Wish"'s electronics and tumbling drums with an organic flow.
Helado Negro also ranges from more live-sounding songs like the surreal ballad "Dos Sueños" to wispily layered creations such as "Dahum," which builds from a simple drum loop into something as transporting as anything by
Panda Bear or
El Guincho.
Lange and company sound just as strong with either approach: "Awe," an elaborate tour through a jungle of playful keyboards and hypnotic percussion, and "Deja," the album's darkly strummed closer, couldn't be more different, but they're both standouts. Even though
Helado Negro never really repeats itself,
Awe Owe holds together wonderfully, offering an immediately engaging listening experience that only gets richer with each listen. ~ Heather Phares