CD Review: Antioquia's 'Viajero'

Antioquia
Viajero
Self-Release

Colombian-born and Oakland, California-based, Antioquia [pron. an-tee-OH-kee-ah], brings us a rousing set of edgy, rock and folk songs inspired by Afro-Colombian psychedelica permeating throughout their new album, Viajero. The quasi-electronic, “Attack of the Killer Balafon,” is a pensive, slightly spacious song with meandering balafon sounds, lilting guitar notes, and special effects that signify more of a Saharan blues connection than South America. The jangly, jungle sounds of the highly percussive “Dibon,” are rich in South American flavor without the rock elements of a few other songs. The instrumental song is very short, but it serves as a nice break from longer songs and it shows their versatility with different sounds. “Kassa - Nisoro” follows the same musical style as “Dibon.” The beginning of “No Sleep Til Oakland” follows a similar vein, but an urban, hip hop sound takes over with a percussive-driven background. The slightly progressive tone of “Idaho” and “Sister” contain more guitar-driven song structures and wild vocals that stay grounded overall. Antioquia is a new voice in Neuvo Colombian music that is not afraid to cross borders, musical boundaries, and leave listeners reeling for more. ~ Matthew Forss