Two albums in one year may seem ambitious, but when your m.o. is messiness and impatience, it all starts to make sense. It’s not ambition, it’s need. It’s workaholism of the lazy, bratty variety and AJ Dávila is the laziest brat around.
Back in February we finally got to hear Dávila’s solo debut, Terror Amor (released through Nacional Records). It was AJ’s first step since Dávila 666’s demise, an album packed with blink-of-an-eye dance-punk tracks, scratchy vocals, and a long list of known collaborators. It was an event. And yet, I found myself more impressed with the tracks as singles rather than members of a collection, portions of a project. Terror Amor and all its components didn’t demand my attention, they seemed to assume they already had it (an arrogance one comes to expect from any punk album). But even its implicit ballsiness didn’t feel ballsy enough. Perhaps Terror Amor was the album AJ needed to make in order to create Beibi, his newest, sharpest output.
The songs on Beibi feel more determined, more at peace with themselves than those on Terror Amor. Some coast on mellowness (“Que bien” and “Oh Mama (Solo Quiero Pecar)”); others take darker, harsher turns (“Quiero Infierno” and closer “Se de ti”); and a few uphold the AJ dark-doowop trademark (lead single “Borderline” and psych-inspired “Media Naranja”). Opener “Vámonos lejos”‘ guitar licks are exciting enough to propel any listener through the mouth of the album—into its cavernous belly—only to shit you right back out.
Beibi is out November 4th via Burger Records. Check out AJ Dávila y Terror Amor’s remaining U.S. tour dates below.
Nov. 4 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Nov. 5 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
Nov. 6 – Memphis, TN – Hi-Tone Café
Nov. 7 – Dallas, TX – City Tavern