In essence, Portland’s Y la Bamba performs elevated bedroom pop. Not that bedroom pop needs elevation, since the genre’s most endearing quality is its lo-fi charm.
However, the group — fronted by Luz Elena Mendoza — delivers uncharacteristic finesse on the production end, and the cleaner mix becomes a showcase for the clever use of ambient textures. Witness the bird chirps and trains on “Real Talk,” the second track on Y la Bamba’s latest release, this year’s Mujeres.
Overall, Y la Bamba is psychedelic and poppy, and if Mendoza continues to release albums as innovative as Mujeres, she may just find herself in the ranks of indie greats like St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond.
Pass your own judgement when Y la Bamba performs at the Paper Tiger on Wednesday, August 14.
Tickets ($12-$15) are on sale now and can be purchased at papertigersatx.com.
Paper Tiger
2410 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX
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This article appears in The Pride Issue.