Kinky
Reina

(Nettwerk)

First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2006, Volume 13, #11

Written by Melissa Stroh

Comprehending Spanish isn’t necessary for getting into the down-and-dirty dance grooves of Kinky’s latest release Reina, though after the first few tracks, the album falters so much that it’s unlikely that anyone will still be listening to it. Throughout the band’s third album, pulsing beats and distorted vocals converge with a plethora of eccentric instrumentation to create the soundtrack for a typical house party. The five-piece outfit, which formed in 1998, has been writing and producing its own efforts for years, and Reina, which is Spanish for "queen," is an upbeat affair that is plagued with problems.

Linking the mysterious storyline together, the voice of guest Alex Antebi cuts through the vortex of sound on opening track Sister Twisted, which offers just a taste of the odd combination of instruments and beats that follow. A bit of South-of-the-Border flavor is thrown into Una Linea De Luz, and Kinky harmonizes over the sound of island drums as the urgency of the song is brought to the forefront during its bridge. Although Reina pushes full-steam ahead with possible singles like I Say Hey and Again and So On, the album hits a dead end with Leon and Monday Killer. The former lulls the listener to sleep with poor harmonies, while the latter is stuffed full of lyrics that are so cheesy that they undermine the portions of the affair that work.

Just when it seems as if Reina can’t get any worse, Kinky samples the sing-song melody of The Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight. Ordinarily, this might have resurrected the dying album, but here, it only pushes it further into obscurity. While the last few tracks do a commendable job of elevating the effort, the damage already has been done. Although the opening cuts had interesting beats and inventive lyrics, the rest of the endeavor pales in comparison. If the band had been innovative during the middle selections, the outing could have been a hit, but by teasing the listener and then pulling back, Reina becomes nothing short of a disaster.

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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2006 The Music Box