Of all places, the Bronx was the setting in which Dominican multi-instrumentalist Nova and Columbian chanteuse bassist Maya met just two years ago. I’m sure they’re quite glad they did. Already, “Don’t Let Go” -- the lead single and opening track from their full-length premiere -- has been featured on the soundtrack to the fairly successful La Mujer De Mi Hermano, as well as the popular NBC show Las Vegas, earning them airplay on such credible frequencies as Indie 103.1, KCRW, KEXP, and KUT. So there is some decent anticipation surrounding the release of All Good Things.
Being touted as “a funky fusion of traditional Latin rhythms like Columbian cumbia, Dominican palo, reggae, dancehall, dub, & electronica,” the duo’s debut album often sounds like a debut. In the ambitious attempt to bring you a melting pot of drum & bass, house, trip-hop, and dub, they have presented the buying public with a glom of low-budget, synthetic Casio/Yamaha sounds with lyrics that flash back and forth so fast between English and their native tongue (I assume) that it's exhausting to really care. While the breadth grants them certain character and the production their own unique style, perhaps a little more focus would’ve made this album more satisfying. As is, with every track trying to incorporate as many differing styles as possible, the end result of All Good Things is a muddled collection of ultimately happy singles. However, several of the singles yet to be culled from this LP are strong in their own right. “La Verdolaga” finds itself at the more subdued end of the ragga/jungle spectrum, succeeding with a Gorillaz-like harmonica, upright bass, and Latin guitar, while the hype surrounding the jungle porn-funk “Don’t Let Go” is somewhat justified (though Morcheeba did it right the first time). Everything in context, though, it just doesn’t work that well as an album.
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