Puerto Rican punk-rock outfit Ardillas had been around for about ten years when they released their self-titled debut album in 2011, so it’s no surprise that the sequel took just as long (legitimate excuse: the band members were also busy with Davila 666). But then you have something that’s more than worth the wait: sophomore LP Canciones de Amor, Locura y Muerte has everything you hoped for – ten energetic but melodic songs of (as the title implies) love, madness and death (in Spanish), full of seductive guitar riffs, incendiary drum rolls, catchy hooks and shout-along choruses. Opening track ¿Dónde Estan? immediately presses the pleasure button in your brain, then the band let the enthusiasm level rise further through the woo-hoo harmony vocals in the hit Linda Niña (not an unknown tune for those who follow the Slovenly label, because it was already released as a single in 2013), and when they finally slow down in the beautiful closing ballad Canción Para Ti, their sensitive side also proves impressive. This will get us through the next decade.
Canciones de Amor, Locura y Muerte is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Slovenly Recordings.