CD REVIEW: SIN SOTO – MADA

Shane | 28 October 2021 | Reply

CD REVIEW: SIN SOTO – MADA
Independent
2021
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
88%

Sin Soto’s double album arrived for consideration unexpectedly and unheralded in an epic package full of accoutrements the likes of which we humble low-level reviewers ever get spoilt enough to see, especially nowadays: Earplugs, shirt, key ring, candle, even bird seed (birds are big in Sin Soto’s world)!

So it’s only appropriate that the music is similarly epic – and eclectic, grandiose, wildly ambitious, superbly written & delivered, amongst a spate of other worthy adjectives.

Let’s start with a heavy bedrock, and vocals which are half sung, half spoken that bring to mind Rage Against The Machine, Skunk Anansie and Faith No More – but more modern. There is anger and love in the mix, both pointing in the right direction.

This is music with a message – multiple messages, to be more accurate. Tribe features the voice of Native American author, poet and activist John Trudell, with proceeds being donated to The John Trudell Archives, Inc, a not-for-profit which provides scholarships to native communities and international poetry and literature programs (www.johntrudell.com). Proceeds from Guilty? Go to The Innocence Project, an not-for-profit which exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and actively works to reform the criminal justice system (www.innocenceproject.org). Proceeds from Retrograde aid Border Angels, another not-for-profit which advocates for human rights and humane immigration reform, defending the rights of migrants and refugees (www.borderangels.org).

The band boldly declare in their press release, “This is music for music’s sake. No ceremony, no band selfies, just music.” Trying to individually describe the wildly diverse, instantly absorbing, thoroughly catchy and memorable music across these twenty tracks is pointless. There are elements of hard rock, hip hop, punk, alt rock and more – even an alt-new wave meditation track (“my mind is slowing the fuck down – I am now fully fucking relaxed”).

Somehow, Sin Soto (Ronny, Alexis Tajlia & Churv) manage to surprise every step of the way (“it’s a 20-track mixed bag, sorry!” they joke in that press release) AND sound unique and cohesive throughout.

To quote the band themselves one more time, “this album promises you a wild adventure through genres and social commentary. No fluff. No fillers. No pomposity.” Mada is fascinating – a musical journey and a tour de force of unexpected maturity, wisdom and talent, made all the more impressive because it is a debut album rather than a seasoned outfit.