Rico Monaco & Sol Sons have put forth a well-crafted release with “Luna Salerno”. While the genre was listed as Latin, pigeonholing the music on Luna Salerno does it a disservice as the music contains many influences. The songs have a strong pop bent, and are laced with an emotive electric guitar that is reminiscent of Carlos Santana’s “Supernatural” where several styles fuse for a sound that is colorful and radio-friendly.
The release opens with “Ciao Bella Signorina”. The lyrics are unfortunately a little trite and undeveloped, and there is a note in the verse melody that I wish the singer didn’t use. But the listener who gets past that is rewarded with a beautiful soaring chorus complete with excellent, on-point harmonies and very nice guitar work.
“One Step Closer to You” which features nice female harmonies and an appearance by Tito Puente, Jr., was great. It has a late-70’s vibe in all the best ways; very much a cross between Ambrosia with a dash of Steely Dan. The vocalist lacks a strong, distinctive voice and tends to be the weak point in the material. However in this song, he absolutely shines. While not as Latin in flavor as the other songs, this track should have been the lead track as all of the band’s best attributes – good pop hooks, excellent musicianship, great harmonies and solid arrangements are all on display.
Other notable songs are the instrumental title track “Luna Salerno”, and one of the live studio cuts, “Ya Ya Ma Ma” (also featuring Tito Punte Jr.) was enjoyable and shows off the group’s vocal harmonies.
It is very apparent that this band has serious talent and must put on an electric live show. However, I do maintain that the singer is a bit pedestrian and does best with the poppier material, and with other vocal accompaniment on the meatier songs. The guitarist, while very, very good, has to be careful with his note choices. On the live cuts there were times where he hit some wrong notes at key points which detracted from the listening experience.
In closing, for those looking for a release with the perfect balance of pop and Latin flavor with a dash a serious musicianship, “Luna Salerno” definitely deserves a listen.
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More Information
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