In 2010, Baby Scream - the nom de plume of Argentine musician Juan Pablo Mazzola - released “Identity Theft.” Better late than never, it reaches Bluesbunny. Just as well, because the EP is simply delightful. Clearly influenced by 60s British rock music, Mazzola has added his own Latin-American spin and created a truly captivating style of his own.
Throughout the years, music critics and lovers alike have enunciated the beauty of the three-minute pop song. While to some it would appear to be a race against time, such an aptitude would seem to come naturally to Mazzola.
Perhaps the key to this EP’s brilliance lies in its simplicity. Not shy of heralding The Beatles as a massive influence, Mazzola clearly understands that he can deliver his message in a condensed form without compromising his musical or lyrical integrity. After all, “Be” and “Dead Woman Walking” both fall well short of three minutes. “Underground Blues”, while sticking to the short-song formula, is a ninety-second blues-rock effort which, though true to its name, doesn’t seem quite appropriate. Of course, segregation is largely a bad idea, but perhaps isn’t so awful in the sense of an album’s tracklist.
The Rinaldo Rafanelli-penned “Ojos Orientales” does in fact evoke thoughts of the Orient yet would probably welcome a glass of red wine as accompaniment, while “Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga” (courtesy of John Lennon and Harry Nilsson) brings the album to an end in peaceful fashion.
Like the music of his primary influences, this Baby Scream EP will make you feel good and is a testament to the healing powers of music. Hard to think of a stronger endorsement than that.