listen now…
Sweet Maria :: Yemaya :: Latin Woman (pt.II)
Raya Nova brings their progressive/alt rock sound to Froglix with selections from their freshman release entitled And The Darkness Held Sway… Fashioned after the concept albums made famous in the 1970s, this Berkeley, CA band has assembled a selection of tracks that flow flawlessly from one to another while remaining strong enough to stand alone.
“Blood and Pride” starts off with crisp guitar riffs but soon gives way to lush, chorus laden verses that are wetter than an otter’s pocket and, while I haven’t seen the band live (yet), “Sweet Maria” has got to be a crowd favourite. Its energetic cadence is draped in melodic phrasing that sparkles with originality. The crystal clear vocals and catchy lyrics had me singing along in less than 60 seconds.
Normally, we shy away from tracks that are predominantly instrumental but “Latin Woman (part II)” is so amazing we just had to include it as part of the rotation. Seriously, these cats go off in this one…you have to hear it. “Yemaya”, an upbeat tune with a lively Latin feel, is sure to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing.
Raya Nova delivers a good one with this disc. A word of advice, when you feel the rock/latin riddims grab hold of you (and they will), don’t fight it. Just go with it. You’ll be glad you did.
-Drago