The arrangement, courtesy of the conductor – the great Alondra de la Parra – is a sweet waltz made sweeter by Natalia LaFourcade’s delicate vocals.

This year Mexico celebrates 200 years of independence from Spain – I know, time really flies.  To celebrate, several major artists in the latin community contributed their take on traditional Mexican songs for Bi-Mexicano: Nuestros Clasicos Hechas Rock.  You may recognize some of these standards if you’ve ever hung out with the BumbleBee clan after 2am.  It’s not all Mexicans at this party with contributions from Senor Flavio of Arentina and Aterciopelados of Colombia.  Most interesting though is Spain’s very own Enrique Bunbury adding his take on “Vamonos.”  Bunbury has a HUGE following in Mexico (especially with the ladies for some reason) so I understand the addition of a Spaniard.  Natalia (swoooooon) Lafourcade’s version of “La Cigarilla” was released this week over at Remezcla and honestly I’m a little underwhelmed.   After several listens I found myself thinking that Denise Gutierrez (Lo Blondo of Hello Seahorse!) with operatic singing style and phrasing could have really elevated the restrained vocals on this track, but this just makes me excited to hear Hello Seahorse! with “Cielo Rojo.”  If you’re interested you can find the complete track list HERE.

Hu Hu Hu opens with breezy retro horns in Cursis Melodias. Her timbre and playful vocal style is similar to Lily Allen but don’t get it twisted, Lafourcade is a talented sprite who knows how to manipulate a phrase for a subtle yet powerful effect.  The second song on the album, No Viniste, starts with restrained yet upbeat keyboards and gets a delicate touch with the use of a glockenspiel (!!!!). Then there’s the mellow bluegrassy guitar picks of Siempre Prisa and ends with a looping of instruments and harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles after they’d discovered acid.  Tiempo Al Viento is a whistful electro-pop pulser.  Let’s Get Out, the first of three songs in English and my favorite of those three with its fun, poppy vibe.   This is followed by the title track, an ethereal duet with Mexican indie rock goddess Julieta Venegas.  Ella Es Bonita is just simply a perfect pop confection. Nothing more to say about that one.  The second half of the album starts with Nino Hojas, a beautiful piece of orchestral pop with gorgeous, lush instrumentation.  Running Too Fast, the second song in English has quirky lyrics that sound like an exercise in an English class and digging around (thanks Google!) I found out this was the very first song she ever wrote in English.  Listening to Azul is the song I imagine Regina Spektor would write if she wrote in Spanish but with more glockenspiel (again, I DIE!).  This song sounds like a mash-up of two songs, one upbeat yet insecure and the other starting off mellow but building to a climax with joyful screams.  Hora De Compartir twinkles with whimsy from the thoughtful use of chimes and bells.  The album closes with Un Lugar Para Renacer and Look Outside, two pleasant  numbers that call on angelic harmonies and layered instruments to create a lush symphonic sound.

This album is my current obsession, can’t you tell?  Its quirky, its happy and touches on oh-so-relatable topics like insecurity and rejection but with whimsy and a playful sense of humor.  Simply put, this album is just delightful.