Roberto Carlos Lange recorded his second
Helado Negro album,
Canta Lechuza, holed up in a rural Connecticut cabin, but it sounds like it could have been made in an orbiting space station for all that it has in common with where it was made. Actually, that would be a fitting explanation for the album's playful, peaceful, and decidedly insular sound, which is a drastic change from the expansive collaborations of
Helado Negro's debut
Awe Owe; if anything, it has more in common with
Asthmatic Kitty's library music series than their regular output. In splendid isolation with an arsenal of loops, samples, drum machines, live instruments, and synths at his disposal,
Lange flexed his muscles as a sound-shaper, and the sonic trickery that decorated
Awe Owe is
Canta Lechuza's focus. Sounds drift, hover, and cruise from one stereo channel to another, making songs like
"Globitos," "Regresa," and
"20 Dia" ideal headphone listening. Meanwhile, the hypnotic pulse of
"El Oeste" has more in common with
Broadcast than
Helado Negro's previous work, and
"Oreja de Arena" offers a tropical twist on space age bachelor pad music. However,
Lange doesn't completely abandon his pop roots; a playful melody flits across
"Obara Uno" when listeners are least expecting it, and
"Lechuguilla"'s cheery sparkle and
"Calculas"'s bounce are just as charming as anything from
Awe Owe, despite sounding radically different from that album. Mysterious and subtly beguiling,
Canta Lechuza begs to be listened to in the condition in which it was made: solitude. ~ Heather Phares
![American Football [LP1]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0644110002525_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "American Football [LP1]")
![American Football [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0644110027627_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "American Football [Deluxe Edition]")
![Sunbather [10th Anniversary Edition] [Remixed & Remastered]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0791689665764_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Sunbather [10th Anniversary Edition] [Remixed & Remastered]")
