CUU LP, Sr. Amable

Delhotel Records, Mexico
Rating: 79

By Jean-Stephane Beriot

The project of Andres Murillo gives continuation to the very pleasing EP Senor Amable Was Here, this time he steps away from the charming vowels of “Gary (ewewew)” and amplifies a dazzling line of songs that are anything but charming, seems like he’s trying to kill the kid inside him, or even more interesting, somebody else taking that away from him. Mr. Amable finds himself in a country with riveting violence, this demands bolder musical passages and for the most part the album delivers such force. However, I miss some of that messier production from his EP, something our editor calls the demo-lished suspension, CUU sounds more industrialized but equally polished.

“Me Carfa” is a brutal piece to start a show, with lines like “se oyen balas en lugar de risas” or “no vemos diferencia entre narco y policia”, or how about “soy muy popular entre la gente triste.” One would think this guy is a pessimist or at least heartbroken, or both, truth is, he is just a perceiver transcoding his surrounding through very well textured bleak songs. Big props to producer Bul who adds yet another review on this site, “Pasa las armas Bul!”CUU is covered with excessive attachment, but finds virtue in this flaw to hide his already vulnerable voice which is so beautifully conveyed in “Para Blueshit.” This is one of the most beautiful tracks in the album so I did some research, turns out this is a requiem for Blueshit, a band I could barely stand to skim, very weird unhealthy stuff, ugly things inspire beautiful ones.

Despite having one of the coolest titles, “Tema official de la semana nacional de vacunacion” drowns in goofiness trying to critique Mexico City’s rock scene, the rap sequence is laughable and dumb; everything that could’ve gone wrong does go wrong even melodically. “Carrie’s Brain” is a spare song, totally unnecessary and easily boring. Aside from those two tracks CUU flourishes truly exciting minutes of music and speech, about guns and drug trafficking, schools and whatnot. Play close attention to the collaborations of two fonograma favorites, Monterrey’s weird kid Alexico and Monterrey’s most sober cantautor Mr. Racoon. Also, don’t miss the title song, it takes a while for it to sink in, but once it does, it’s hard not get chills, the perfect mediation for a post-everything set of songs. At the end, this is a very cool pop album, not an easy album but very gratifying on multiple hearings. “Soy muy lo-fi para culturizaaaar.”


  1. the record's song titles are directly inspired on the author's asskissing, ain't them?

  2. By the way, this was very hard to give a rating to, so I'm keeping it on standby with a 79 but at any moment I could give it an extra point so it gets into our 'destacados' corner, which you can tell I had already placed on but decided to step back and see how the album grows on me. This is the second time this happens, Carlos did this for La Bien Querida's Romancero.

  3. hey, thanks!

    "tema oficial de la semana nacional de vacunación de mascotas" was so fun to record! and is one of the -favorite- tracks of the album (well, a few friends and other people said so :P), also "carrie´s brain". But, as always, is so great to read all points of view.

    Im used to be always at the limit of things, im one of those "second place guys", i live with this cafe tacvba line in me: "el señor interventor no estaba para validar mi triunfo".

    Dont worrie about the rating. Lo importante es escuchar.

    saludos :)

  4. "Betun" is awesome, and I love "Para Blueshit" too, also "CUU en el Espacio"

  5. Mi favorita es "Para Blueshit", definitivamente uno de los discos del año.

  6. This is very good, "Para Blueshit" is indeed the best track. The voice reminds me a bit to Tacvba's Joselo and maybe Juan Son. I do think he is escaping melody, "Ya Me Voy", "Para Blueshit", "Betun" "CUU en el Espacio" are pretty darn good, and there's some stuff like "Tema oficial..." which starts great and later becomes a dumb + boring statement that in the end it's only as strong as those statement songs by Juanes or so.

    Cut "Tema Oficial...", "Carrie's Brain" and "Los balean y hacen carne asada" and you got one of my year's favorites, make a 6 or 7 piece album instead, then we would be taking about a GREAT album.

  7. You make good points in your review, most of it about the rawness lost in his production, but it kind of surprises me some odd statements like "cool title, bad song". Comments like that are so vague, 'cause is just a plain judgement of personal beliefs.

    Nevertheless, i'm must agree with the general conclusions. I imagine one of my thesis directors telling me: "your thesis title offers more than what you develop within".

    At the end, it's a fair "rate" for Amable's sincere attempt to catch up more with the Mexico's social issues that with its music scene.

    The irony is that is more a social record than a musical intent of a melodical masterpiece.