The Guapos - Hey! (2023)

Let’s see. Four sharp dressed men, three bearded, one mustachioed, two wearing cowboy hats. Spaghetti western music alert? Not really. The Guapos (Mexico & Spain) are definitely a throwback act though. It’s four well-known musicians (Adán Jodorowsky, El David Aguilar, Jay de La Cueva and Leiva) from the Mexican and Spanish music scene penning a love letter to pre-80’s music. The ten songs on Hey! are perfect summertime music incorporating influences from surf, garage, rock-‘n’-roll and old school pop music. The hits are massive and keep on coming. Listen to the party platter title track Hey! or Soy Un Guapo, a song so catchy it made me sing along to the chorus right away – phonetically of course since I have no idea what they are actually singing.

The Guapos appear to be a sideproject for the people involved (one out of a “deep friendship”), but I hope they go for global dominance and take this show on the road as a full time thing. What a knack for writing pop melodies these hombres have! A touch of Nerves and The Remains here, a dash of The Everly Brothers there, a bit of Allman Brothers band, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys added for good measure. What’s not to like?!

Okay, it would have been nice to have some information on a future physical release (One Little Blue Records Inc. is the label involved), or at the very least to be able to find the record on Bandcamp. For now we have to rely on streaming services to enjoy this one. Play loud, dance, fun wil be had.