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5.0 out of 5 stars
Lucky find, 25 Jun 2003
I stumbled across a discarded promotional copy of "Musica Negra" among the used CDs in an indie music store, and was intrigued by the cover's shot of a shadowed, red-tinted face. Obviously, you shouldn't judge a CD by its cover. But what I found inside was an excellent rock album, not flawless but definitely worth finding more of.A surreal, gradually-building hum bursts into outright rock in "Way Out West," the solid and catchy "Killing Floor (Get Down On It)" with its "woo-hoo-oo" background vocals, the hard-hitting "It's Alright, It's Okay (Jesus Told Me So)" with its piercing "ain't it a shame" chorus, the startlingly touching ballad "Camellia," the lower-key rock song "Me and Yr Sister," the searing "Devil In Miss Jones," and others feature on this album. A gorgeous ballad strong on piano, "Dirty Goodbyes," wraps up "Musica Negra." What do people look for in a rock band? Well, that's a hard question to answer, but Verbena has a good chance. This little-known Alabama band is definitely one to take a look at. Each song on this album is unique and memorable in its own way, never blending into a big musical blob the way some albums do. The vocals can switch instantly from a sneer to praise, rock to a ballad. Lyrics are solid, enticing, likably edgy, and very well written ("Ain't nothin' to it/the devil made you do it/ain't nothin' to it/the crack in your halo"). The overall feel is pleasantly gritty, solid, and the sort of thing you can listen to over and over. "Musica Negra" was a lucky find for me, and certainly Verbena's previous albums will be worth checking out. Solid, entertaining, very enjoyable.
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~ A.A. Bondy
~ Verbena
~ Verbena
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