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Feb 14, 2025 Web Exclusive By Mark Moody

The follow-up to Marinero’s (aka Jess Sylvester) sublime Hella Love hails from similar inspirations. While the previous album was a love letter to his longtime San Francisco home, La La La pays tribute to Sylvester’s more recent passion for his new home in Los Angeles. While Hella Love evidenced more variety in terms of musical inspirations, La La La leans heavily into the sunny Southern California vibe and more into the prevailing Latin sounds and language of the area.

Look no further than the cover art to get a glimpse of the divergence of the album’s themes. Of course centered by Sylvester’s musicality, but ranging from the sober and serious to the dashingly debonair. The album’s latter half is primarily given over to celebrating L.A.’s culture of the the silver screen, from the fun to the more foreboding. “Die Again, Yesterday” is a bit of a lark where Sylvester challenged himself to write a Bond theme song. But it also provides one of the album’s catchiest moments. Fluttering castanets cut through a swell of strings before giving way to a vampy synth-laden journey to the hook-filled choruses.

On the more serious side of Tinsel Town history, “Hollywood Ten” uses the Red Scare blacklists of post-World War II as its theme. “The click clack of a typewriter, like the sound of a tap dancer,” makes for the song’s languorous start. With percussion on point with the pre-electric tool of a scriptwriter’s trade. “There’s no way to redraft history, have you no sense of decency?,” Sylvester implores while also invoking the cancel culture of today. Brainy stuff perhaps, but the low-key salsa rhythms of the song set a captivating mood.

Sylvester also pushes himself compositionally, with “Dream Suite” and “Sea Changes” being seamless examples of his skills as composer and bandleader. The softly syncopated interludes, strings, and layered vocals of “Dream Suite” give a retro Motown feel to a song dedicated to pulling for those battling addictions. While the groovier feel of “Sea Changes” references both his own move to SoCal and a sunnier disposition viewed on those around him.

With seasoned musical veterans on hand like Chicano Batman’s Eduardo Arenas (bass) and Deerhoof’s Chris Cohen (drums), it’s no wonder that all myriad of styles on display land effortlessly. From the ultra chill “Cruz,” with its campy spoken word intermission, to the full on brassy assault of a celebration of L.A.’s street food scene, “Taquero,” Sylvester never lacks for inspiration or a sense of adventure. It’s becoming apparent that with any Marinero release you are guaranteed a mood—here relaxed, clear and sunny. Like a perfect L.A. day. (www.maringuero.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10