Los Lobos probably isn’t the most likely candidate for “blog review” because, after all, they’re not unknowns; Los Lobos are, to me, one of the most revered and beloved bands ever to emerge from the flourishing community of East Los Angeles. They are known and respected the world over, ripe with master musicianship and a track record to prove it.

It occasions to concern me that in a band whose songwriting has been so consistently fascinating, their biggest single has proven to be a cover of “La Bamba” from the movie of the same name well over a decade ago, yet their two finest recordings Kiko and La Pistola y El Corazon remain largely unheard by American audiences. Regardless, their relevance to our modern musical landscape has never dissipated in the critical world. In fact, the album from which that song at the end of The Sopranos episode 82 comes is one of their finest and most deservedly critically acclaimed recordings in many years. The Town And The City is an album filled with storytelling, musicianship, and the sweat and struggle of the human condition. It’s unwieldly variants make it a cornerstone of a landmark recording career that spans three decades, steeped in the musical traditions that are inherently a part of the Los Lobos vibe.

The song used during the ending montage is perfectly valid and mesmerizing, the refrains of David Hidalgo’s bluesy tenor echoing the onscreen story with unselective accent and unreprentant truth that can only come from a place of deep spiritual understanding. It is but the tip of the iceberg on The Town And The City, an unassuming and vibrant set of story-laden songs that eschew equal parts protest and hope.

Los Lobos – The Valley

You can purchase Los Lobos’ The Town And The City from iTunes by clicking here.