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Review Latin, the band's third album, is something of a side-step from its predecessors, Holy Fuck (2004) and LP (2007). It's less brawny and statelier, perhaps in part due to its producers Paul Epworth (Florence, The Rapture) and Dave Sardy (Black Mountain, LCD). But it might well be the closest the band has got to sounding as visceral and as rich on record as they do live.
Opening with the graceful drone of 1MD, Latin starts as it means to go on: tantalisingly, and most unexpectedly. But the mood is soon interrupted by Red Lights, a buoyant, bass-thuggish tune, reminiscent of LP's most swaggering numbers. But there is a progression here too, most notably in the fact that these tracks feel so much like songs, rather than free-floating belly-driven jams. They are songs in the same way LCD Soundsystem, say, writes songs that sprawl and catch and turn back on themselves, but still seem to own some kind of structure.
And there is a new quality here too–one shudders to call it maturity, but perhaps we might instead name it distance, a faint air of remove that appears even in the most intense, meatiest tracks. Silva & Grimes might be a good example, all pared-back floatiness; or near-title-track Latin America, which shoves a kind of bombastic joviality right up against mournful brass and keyboards. Later comes SHT MTN, all dirge and robotic female face, yet which succeeds in being surprisingly infectious. Only Lucky suffers from a little late-Verve space-rock mysticism, though thankfully this is soon tempered by the wiry strut of P.I.G.S.
In short, Holy Fuck haven't so much as grown up as filled out, bringing a little more muscle to their punch. --Laura Barton
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be put off by the sweary band name!,
By Captain Cowchucker (Basingstoke, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Latin (Audio CD)
HF are an electronica band from Toronto; `Latin' is their third album. Compared to their previous releases (`Holy F**k' in 2005, `LP' in 2007), their songs are more structured and focussed than before. While something might have been lost in terms of spontaneity (or at least the *impression* that anything could happen) evident in previous releases, in my opinion this new approach has helped the band to realise their potential. Throughout I was impressed by the propulsive drumming of Mike Schultz. I loved the way his playing creates and maintains the momentum and mood; there's a lot of subtlety and skill in his muscular playing.`Latin' is one of those albums where you get the nagging feeling that you've heard bits of the songs before. I'm not talking outright plagiarism or pastiche, more `that sounds a bit like ...', that encourages the listener to hunt down and listen to the song(s) by the original artist just to confirm their suspicions. For example, the track `Silva & Grimes' could have been recorded by Neu!. `SHT MTN' is `Dirt' by Death In Vegas bolted onto the drum intro from the Rolling Stones' `Honky Tonk Woman', seemingly with Ladytron's Mira Aroyo spelling out the band's name in style of a Numbers station. `P.I.G.S.' is the grumpy cousin of The Orb's `Toxygene'. `Red Lights' could be the theme to a long lost 1970's American cop show. `1MD' drifts and then builds like early Slowdive. Admittedly there isn't anything as immediate or pretty as `Lovely Allen', but the high quality of the songs means you don't notice. While the influences and references are disparate everything sounds the work of a single band; wholly Holy F-... I'm sorry but I need to say this. Why would musicians jeopardise their success by giving their collective a name that's the equivalent of a fourteen year old wearing a Cradle Of Filth t-shirt with `Jesus Is A Canoe' on the back? It isn't provocative nor particularly clever, just a source of slight embarrassment for everyone involved. It also makes reviewing albums by said band a bit tricky on websites where rude words are not permitted. This is a pity since the band - and `Latin' in particular - are worth evangelising about.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shades of older greats,
By Oliver Ready "Kwaping" - Published on Amazon.com
Executive summary:For fans of "classic" electronic music and people who enjoy the unusual and quirky. Details: If you like older Chemical Brothers (such as Exit Planet Dust), you will like this album. Something I especially like about this band is that they don't use computers to produce this music. Instead, they use live drums and bass, as well as a myriad of other electric devices (toy keyboards, guitar effects pedals, and notably a 35mm film synchronizer). It's said that they also don't rehearse, which is pretty mind-blowing after listening to the tight jams on this album. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is amazing.,
By M.NINE - Published on Amazon.com
Fuzzy progressive electronic live organic awesome. I'm not so much for review writing, but I had to say something about this album. Stilettos is my pick for best track.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fans of gritty DnB Electronica Rejoice!,
By H. Thompson - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Latin (Audio CD)
This album is amazing. HF have created a musical, driving mix of drum and bass and electronic noise that doesn't sound boring or austere and pre-programmed. Like a fresh blend of DJ Shadow, Boards of Canada, and Guided by Voices.
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