Los Abandoned had been stirring things up just beneath the national radar for several years before their first full-length album was released in 2006. A quartet consisting of three Latin Americans and one "nice Jewish boy," the band writes in English and Spanish, and sometimes switches between the two within a single line. You might expect their sound to be full of Latin influences, but in fact what they sound like more than anything is early-'80s new wave; their approach isn't so much lo-fi as old-fi, with vintage guitar tones and synth sounds surrounding the sweet, sometimes chirpy vocals of lead singer Lady P. "A la Mode" sounds kind of like a Spanish-speaking
Toni Basil crossed with
the Motels (and includes a shout-out to
Giorgio Moroder); "Van Nuys" is a sly non-tribute to that depressing L.A. suburb, complete with an
Adam Ant-ish nonsense intro, fast-chugging power chords, and plenty of Spanglish diversions. "Nada Mio Es Fake" brings in a few Latin pop influences for the first time, but the ukulele, strings and honking baritone sax of "Office Xmas Party" follow up with a complete sonic detour. "Pantalon" ponders the music question "Where are my pants?," and "Me Quieren en Chile" pays a kind of sideways tribute to
Bad Brains by veering from sort-of reggae to sort-of hardcore. Brilliant. ~ Rick Anderson