Don Caballero
World Class Listening Problem

It feels strange to have this "World Class Listening Problem" in my hands. Yet it shouldn't. I mean, there's no better quality guarantee than the Don Caballero brand, but this time I know there's something different.

Yes, I should be excited about the return of my favorite mathematicians (probably the only ones) after such a long absence from the scene, but the truth is those I've admired so much in past years have most probably concluded their impetuous journey, once and for all. Those I'm now listening to are pale imitators of the masters, at least competent substitutes, but without the verve and genius that distinguished the Caballerian forefathers. The survivor of the original formation is the one who has been the real driving force of the sound over the years, Damon Che Fitzgerald, who once again displays timeless class, but on this occasion, he seems almost to play with the handbrake on, lacking the uncontrolled schizophrenic rage of the past.

The title track and the exotic "Palm Trees In Fecking Bahamas" and "I'm Goofballs For Bozo Jazz" are clear examples of a certain softening of the offering in favor of a simpler format, less psychedelic and more progressive. The aggression of the past returns to dominate in the obsessive riffs of the menacing "And And And, He Lowered The Twin Down" (The titles have always been easy to interpret), prodigious in its mad pace, interspersed with moments of apparent calm. The piece manages to maintain a certain underlying balance and doesn't get lost in futile virtuosity. The most inspired Damon is the one in the starting "Mmmmm Acting, I Love Me Some Good Acting", where he gives memorable lessons in percussion anarchy, while a subtle post-rock breeze courses through and grazes the elegant "Railroad Cancellation". The experimentation in "Theme From Bricktop Clowns" is negligible, while "I Agree....No!....I Disagree" represents the heart of the work; a charming track where the guitars lead the charge, before bursting into an overflowing noise chaos, interspersed with Fitzgerald's nonsensical drumming. The bulk of the album is here, the tracks are mostly all relevant and appreciable, but they lack personality.

The work should be considered sufficiently overall, though useless. While Ian Williams has given birth to some ambitious musical projects, a sign of continuous and increasing sound research, Damon preferred to engage in a sterile exercise of style, which, although well done and excellently produced, doesn't add a comma to what the Don had achieved a decade ago.