Los Rabanes

Money Pa' Que features more up-tempo, party-oriented tunes by the Panamanian trio. Los Rabanes have described themselves as a "fusion" band, which seems appropriate considering how they seamlessly blend different styles of music. For example, they mix ska, salsa, and mainstream pop/rock in the opening number, "Money," to create a sound that's infectious, although perhaps too glossy and slick. Nonetheless, they perform with a lot of enthusiasm; the slower ballad "Tus Caprichos" seems somewhat generic, but their style is well-suited to rhythmic numbers with fast-paced vocals, shouted choruses, and horns or crunchy hard rock guitars blaring over accordions. "Love in New Orleans" adds some appealing N'Orleans-style trumpet, and the nine-minute "Thank Yous" demonstrates that the band is still willing to experiment with its style. The CD includes three different versions of "Everybody," including a thrash mix and a Pablo Flores edit, and a remastered version of their "Señorita a Mi Me Gusta Su Style" single, a song that was featured on their previous album, Rabanes. [A clean version of Money Pa' Que, which removed any profanities or obscenities in the lyrics, was also released.] ~ Todd Kristel, All Music Guide