Mujeres Y Mentiras [PA] (CD - 2007)

Most banda albums do not have or need a "parental advisory: explicit content" warning on the front cover, but many of Banda Jerez's albums have had them -- and Mujeres y Mentiras (Women and Lies) is no exception. The "parental advisory" warning that appears on the front cover of Mujeres y Mentiras is appropriate because this 2007 release, like previous Jerez discs, has more than its share of off-color humor. Someone who appreciates off-color blues, off-color heavy metal, or off-color hip-hop can easily appreciate where Jerez (formally known as La Número 1 Banda Jerez de Marco A. Flores) is coming from on "Basura" (Trash, or Rubbish if you live in the U.K.), "Las Mentiras" (The Lies), and other humorously irreverent tracks -- that is, assuming that the listener speaks some Spanish. All of the lyrics are en español, and someone who understands at least some Spanish will notice Jerez's ability to be funny and biting at the same time. Of course, some hypersensitive individuals will no doubt object to an edgy tune like "La Mujerzuela" (The Slut) and claim that Jerez is promoting misogyny, which is sort of like claiming that banda star Jenni Rivera is a male-basher because of her fiery diatribes against all the desgraciados (wretches) who have done her wrong over the years. It's a matter of context; one needs to look for context when evaluating "La Mujerzuela" or "Basura" (or, for that matter, many of Rivera's songs), and railing against a particular member of a gender is not the same as condemning the entire gender. That said, Mujeres y Mentiras has a "parental advisory" sticker for a reason -- this 27-minute CD is hardly a Los Solecitos project -- but it is a fun and engaging (although brief) effort that is enthusiastically recommended to banda fans who are not hypersensitive or prudish. ~ Alex Henderson minimize