Revolucion De Amor

Like English-language rock, the rock en espanol field has its superstars and its more underground artists. Superstars like los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Shakira can easily fill a huge soccer stadium in Mexico City or Buenos Aires, while the more underground artists perform in Latin America's small clubs. Mana falls into the supergroup category; in Latin America, the Mexican outfit is as huge as Creed or Pearl Jam. And like other bands who are enormously successful, Mana has their share of detractors. Mana's detractors criticize the band for being slick and highly polished, and Revolucion de Amor is unlikely to change that perception. There is, to be sure, a certain amount of slickness and arena rock gloss on this 2002 release. But there is also an impressive amount of craftsmanship; in fact, Revolucion de Amor boasts some of Mana's strongest writing. This time, Mana's writing is quite consistent -- the band has recorded some uneven albums, but Revolucion de Amor isn't one of them. All of the songs are extremely listenable, and that is true whether Mana incorporates Mexican elements on "Mariposa Traicionera" or gets into a salsa-influenced groove on "No Voy A Ser Tu Esclavo" and "Sabanas Frias." For all of their pop gloss, Mana can be challenging -- both musically and lyrically. Musically, Mana uses a variety of influences to their creative advantage -- everything from salsa to reggae to North African music -- and the lyrics address both sociopolitical and romantic concerns. Revolucion de Amor is unlikely to convert anyone who has been critical of Mana's work in the past, but those who have had a generally favorable view of the band will find this CD to be among the Mexican rockers' strongest, most consistent efforts. ~ Alex Henderson