Ozomatli is an American band that started in Los Angeles in 1995. They mainly create Latin, hip-hop and rock music; all of these genres show up extensively in this project. They’re known for a wide diversity of musical styles such as rap, reggae and jazz and this album beautifully combines them all into an enjoyable experience for the listener.
The album’s first track starts with a very upbeat and rhythmic beat. The horns in the background add a lot of soul to the song and the verses displayed by the various artists add the cherry on the top. Overall, the track is an excellent opening to the album.
The second track, “Sacude”, keeps the upbeat rhythm of the first track. Instead of the rap verses featured on “Mi Destino”, this track is more singing. Despite the switch-up, it doesn’t feel out of place at all. The third track on the album, “Sunsets”, is very different from the first two tracks. The transition is a bit jarring but the track’s relaxing rhythm makes up for the abrupt shift. It’s very laid-back and the singing on it perfectly complements the instrumental.
The transition to the next track is smooth as “Marching On” is also very chill. Once again, the singing on top of the beat is fantastic, which makes it one of the best tracks on the album. The next track takes a turn and goes back to the upbeat tune and singing of the first two tracks. Unlike the first transition, however, this one is a lot smoother and the transition doesn’t feel as out of place. The chorus on “Una Mas” is very similar to the ones on “Sacude” and the tracks give off a very similar vibe.
The beat in “Mula” is underwhelming compared to the previous tracks and the use of the voice changer on top of it isn’t a great addition. The switches between the chorus and the voice-changing sections are also a bit rough. The next track, “Fellas” returns to the quality of the first half of the album. The beat is great and the chorus is catchy. The verses on the album are a bit subpar and the lyrics in the chorus are a bit underwhelming, however, the track still manages to keep the listener’s attention.
“Mr. and Mrs. Nobody” is back to the chill vibes of the third and fourth tracks and just like them, is one of the best on the album. After the previous two tracks, the album needed a song like this to get back on its track and “Mr. and Mrs. Nobody” delivered perfectly. The next track, “Long Live Love”, is also easygoing. The chorus is great and the verses are top-notch. This track is one of the best and shines in the second half of the album. The tenth track gives off a very similar feel to the first track with its beat and chorus. It also uses a voice-changer but unlike “Mula”, it doesn’t feel as out of place.
The album’s outro, “Big Deal”, is a very mellow track, much like “Sunsets”, and is a wonderful outro to the album. Overall, Marching On is a quality record with both upbeat and laid-back tracks. Although the beginning of the second half of the album is a bit disappointing, it quickly gets back on track and the closing song makes for the perfect ending to the project.
Leave a Comment