Notebook Fantasy

Chicano Batman

Released on 3/29/24 by ATO Records
Main artists: Chicano Batman
Genre: Alternative & Indie

Available in

24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo

Unlimited Streaming

Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps

Start my trial period and start listening to this album

Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription

Digital Download

Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.

Chicano Batman wants you to have a good time, and maybe think a little while you're at it. The band's laid-back but emphatic embrace of funk, soul, rock, Tropicália, and other Latin flavors, all viewed through the psychedelic twinkle in their eyes, makes for music that's richly pleasurable, but they also have things on their mind, and they don't mind sharing their thoughts while they're making the music flow. On their early albums, Chicano Batman sounded tight and confident in the studio, but the production had a naturalistic, organic feel. For 2024's Notebook Fantasy, the band has opted to add a little gloss to the presentation, moving the party from the community center to the club downtown with the big sound system. The sessions were produced by John Congleton, whose previous credits run from St. Vincent and Sleater-Kinney to Black Pumas and Nelly Furtado, and with him at the controls, vintage keyboards and drum machines play a bigger role in the arrangements (ex-drummer Gabriel Villa is conspicuous in his absence here), elegant string arrangements appear on several tracks, and the audio has a clean snap that makes the performances pop from the speakers. (The notable exception is "Losing My Mind," which recalls an early-'80s new wave single, complete with a ticky low-tech rhythm machine.) This sacrifices just a bit of the funk from these tracks, but the group adapts well to the circumstances, and the sassy strut of "Live Today," the guitar-driven raunch of "Beautiful Daughter," the Latin disco pulse of "Fly," and the electronic R&B sheen of the title track all sound like they could have come from no other band. While the lyrics lean toward the philosophical rather than the political, their rejection of apathy, advocacy of perseverance, and pride in their culture adds up to a message well worth hearing. Which is a great match for an album worthy of your attention, and a successful experiment from an important American band.

© Mark Deming /TiVo

More info

Notebook Fantasy

Chicano Batman

You are currently listening to samples.

Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.

Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.

From $10.83/month

Live Today