Search - X Alfonso :: Real World

Forget the dreamy mythical Cuba and other sleepy nostalgia. It's reality time. Equis Alfonso, a.k.a. Alfonso X, puts sharp teeth on his internationalist pop, switching gears more often than Brazil's Tom Zé while exploiting a similar celebratory angst over modernism. Even when Alfonso bathes his angular meditations in a jazzy vocal setting as on "No Eres Tu," or lets chiming acoustic guitars define the territory on "Solo Tu Puedes Darme Amor," there's a tough sensibility at work. "Nada en el Mundo" sounds like a cross between Bob Marley and Steely Dan, and if that's a stretch, that's because Alfonso X has mastered the art of the long reach, blending jazz, funk, romantic rap, and the unexpected softness of old-time boleros. Alfonso earned his chops as a member of his parents' long-running Cuban rock fusion band, Sintesis, and his bittersweet compositions along with cool-hot keyboard-based arrangements make his first solo disc an ear-opener. --Bob Tarte