Audio By Carbonatix
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After its first single, “Don’t Let Go,” was featured on last year’s soundtrack to the film La Mujer de Mi Hermano, this Bronx-based duo formed by Dominican-born singer Nova (keys, guitar, vocals) and Colombian-born instrumentalist Maya (bass) finally emerges with its debut album. This is one of the most intriguing new Latin-electronic groups to come out in the past few years. The music draws from a variety of influences, going from traditional Latin rhythms to dance, reggae, rock, and other off-the-wall beats wrapped up in one package. Various vocalists share the lead here — when Patricia Lynn sings on “All Good Things,” it sounds as if a Dido album got lost somewhere in the Caribbean. Meanwhile the song “La Verdolaga,” with vocals by Lucia Pulido, is an unlikely remix of a traditional Latin American song that deserves to be heard. Nova is a multi-instrumentalist in his own right, but lately he’s been working with computer loops and other programming done through a laptop. Despite this fact, All Good Things still sounds and feels organic thanks to the presence of guest musicians whose roots run deep in Latin/Caribbean culture. — Ernest Barteldes