C. Tangana’s new album is here. As one of the most innovative artists in the game, you can never know what to expect with the Madrid-based artist puts out new music. For me, when his songs hit, they hit hard. When they miss, it’s really not something I enjoy. For the most part, on El Madrileño, Tangana hits all of the right notes.
El Madrileño is the third album from Tangana. It’s 14 songs, most of them collaborations. Of the collabs, we have songs with the Gypsy Kings, Jose Felicano and Niño de Elche. Among the best songs of the album are Ingonerable, Veneno, Tu Me Dejaste de Querer, Comerte Entera, and CAMBIA!. (We talked about Comerte Entera on our New Music Friday post which you can read here.) These songs may not be the stereotypical radio hits but they’re masterful balances of mainstream and high concept.
Where this album succeeds is the same area in which Tangana has always succeeded, by marrying the past and present of Spanish music. Whereas Tangana’s last albums have had a base of reggaeton/urban beats and rhythms, El Madrileño comes from a place of flamenco and guittara traditions. Splashes of salsa, bachata, and other rhythms make the album spark.
As I said in the intro, Tangana is a high concept artist. His strength, using inventive new approaches to music and bridging the past and present, can also be his downfall. When you swing for the fences, sometimes you miss. There are a few tracks that miss the mark for me. Demasiadas Mujeres, Te Olvidaste, and Nunca Estoy miss the mark for me and I would list among the weaker tracks on the album. When the story of this album is written, I don’t forsee this tracks being the most memorable.
Verdict
El Madrileño is one of the best albums so far this year. It marries the rich history of flamenco and other Spanish genres with modern urban beats. This album is a love note to the history of Spain and it’s music.
Final Score – 8.1/10