Wax Poetics

Let’s clear things up. Though Chico Mann is the pseudo name for Antibalas guitarist Marcos García, his solo music isn’t just another Afrobeat side-project. Chico Mann is Marcos García at his realest. No pressure, no tension. He sings mostly in Spanish about spiritual yearning (his “Once in a Lifetime” cover) and social responsibility ( “Harmonia” ) amid a staggeringly creative mélange. His unique sound melds boom-bap drum machines and electrofunk keys with Afrobeat-accented rhythm guitars. In “Ya Yo Sé,” the synths provide the backdrop for the flickering guitar lines as the contrapuntal keyboard melodies surge and dip in dancefloor ecstasy. Along with Dâm-Funk’s similarly non-ironic electro trip Toeachizown, Analog Drift represents a certain high-water mark for past-rooted yet innovative modern pop music.