Island Life
It seems almost criminal to say anything less than stellar aboutIsland Life, the sophomore album from producer Andre Levin's latin-fusion collective Yerba Buena. And indeed, there's a sufficent amount of energy and plenty of good-time party vibes on the disc, which infuses the Afro-Cuban framwork with cumbia, salsa, merengue and flamenco rhythms. The thing is, we've heard much of this hybrid before, done in more substantial ways. Yerba Buena wants to be all things to all people, and its music is jam-packed with splashy collaborators. The cutesy "Sugar Daddy" is a prime example, featuring something for traditionalists (Celia Cruz), urban hipsters (Les Nubians), and even movie buffs (John Leguizamo)--all in one song. There are also appearances from the critically acclaimed rap group Orishas (standout "La Candela"), Grammy favorite Diego "El Cigala" ("Corazon Bandolero) and Pedro Almodovar muse Rossy De Palma. It makes for an interesting A-list of world music VIPs and oddities, butIsland Lifeultimately doesn't gel into something outstanding. It's merely OK.--Joey Guerra