Exceptional instrumental stuff from Spain. BCore is centered in Barcelona, but if I'm reading the band's page correctly, at least one member is from Madrid. It doesn't matter. All the lyrics are in Spanish.

Giganto Latigo Canta (BCore)

That's a joke. There are no lyrics. The album title translates loosely as "Whip Song" or "Horsewhip Song" or "He Sings of Horsewhips" or something. My boys were unfamiliar with "latigo" (accent on the a), and they didn't get the syntax, either. I guess there's only so much six years of Spanish will do you.

But the horsewhip part is instructive. Imagine Dirty Three's Horse Stories reimagined by Trans Am and then turned up to 11. No fiddle, either. Just pile-driving riffage, (very) heavy surf-punk that still manages to evoke the wide-open plains. These songs blister by in a flash (they are short and fast), and their breathless character is one of the most thrilling parts of the experience.

There are lots of ways to tell a story. Music is one of the best, of course, and words are secondary. Giganto grabs the listener by the throat and then keeps tightening the vise. Some albums are made for listening. Latigo Canta is one you might hope to survive. But when you do, it's time for the ride to start up again immediately. Highly addictive.

Jon Worley