Quetzal
Worksongs

On its latest effort Worksongs, Quetzal continues its rapid growth and maturity as a band. The group’s lyrics have always been socially aware commentaries about the plight of Mexican-American workers, their families, and their place within the world, but its music, for all its ambitions, has sometimes faltered. Though the ensemble still draws upon a wide sonic palette that blends rock, soul, and jazz with Afro-Cuban and Columbian rhythms as well as traditional Mexican folk, the stylistic transitions and juxtapositions are no longer jarring, nor do they feel uncomfortably forced to cohabit the same space. Instead, the album’s flow is organic and graceful, shifting from the intoxicating groove of Planta de los Pies to the percussive Alimentate to the gentle, emotive beauty of Limones Agrios with remarkably sonorous ease. Credit producer Steve Berlin for helping Quetzal to focus on pulling such diverse statements together so seamlessly, thereby allowing Worksongs to become the band’s most cohesive and alluring outing to date.  ½