At the forefront (at least as far as the rest of North America has noticed) of the growing Mexican musical revolution, Kinky’s newest disc, Reina, packs a wallop of high-intensity, effervescent sonic joy. The album has them continuing in their Latin/rock/funk groove. After all, if it’s not broke, why mess with it? The tracks on Reina ooze fun dance-pop melodies with tight vocal harmonies, caliente Mexican beats and even some retro (some might say cheesy, but hey, it works!) electronic effects, blended with fist-pumping rock riffs. Usually when a group tries to weave so many threads of influence they end up in no man’s land, but Kinky make it work seamlessly and flow incredibly well.

Reina particularly reminds me of the sort of sound Duran Duran were desperately trying to knock off during their late 80s slump, except that Kinky actually meet and exceed that goal.

All in all, if this disc doesn’t drag your ass onto the dance floor, you’re beyond hope.