Los Pacaminos

Something of a side project for Paul Young, and stickered as such on the front, but in reality, as much the property of guitarists Jamie Moses and Drew Barfield, and the rest of the band, as of Young.

Here he is a member as opposed to the only man in the spotlight. Indeed some of the better songs, like ‘Manana’, features a lead vocalist other than Young. The theme is goodtime Tex-Mex and the playing is from some well versed musicians, but the overall feel is of a pub-rock ambience, in which drink seems to figure a lot (as it does in some of the sleeve pictures).

It is strangely anaemic at times for such a potent form; when played straight after listening to Joe Ely’s compilation, it suffers in pretty much every way. But when you consider that this was probably recorded in an overcast London rather than a sundrenched border town, that may have something to do with it. On the plus side, this album features all original material. ‘Shadows On The Rise’ and ‘Do We Really Want The Same Things’ both feature strong Young vocals and some fine guitar and pedal steel playing, while ‘Handsome Man’ has a strong chorus and infectious feel.