Mastretta

Looking for swinging cocktail-hour music that's as smart as it is fun? This set culled from Castilian composer and multi-instrumentalist Natural Mastretta's first four albums is for you. The gentle tinkerer's downtempo creations fall somewhere between the sexy exotica of Thievery Corporation and the coolly playful soundtracks of Nino Rota. Top that off with samba rhythms, strange percussion, vampy piano, clarinet, and reverb-drenched guitar, plus whistling! The fact that all those sounds blend so effortlessly is remarkable--especially when you consider that we've only described the first song. Mastretta's hybridization works so well because it follows no strict path; he uses theremin to humorous effect on the anti-honeymoon tune "Luna de Miel" and swings hard on the jazzy "La Verdad." This vibrant, fun record is a leftfield surprise that is far better than it has any right to be. --Mike McGonigal  more