Yesterday my tickets for the Manu Chao/Radio Bemba Sound System concert in Brixton arrived in the post.  Today I got my hands on the new Manu Chao album, Radiolina, a week ahead of its UK release.

Including bonus tracks the 50-ish minutes of music on Radiolina is spread across 21 tracks.  Just like the previous albums the whole thing is very confusing on a first listen.  There are several sounds and riffs which crop up again and again in different combinations.  You hear a track and think its a repeat of an earlier one but its a different song with some elements of an earlier track under it.  After a few listens the individual tracks take on an identity of their own.

Its a bit like those classical pieces with a theme and then several variations on it.

The first two albums were quite laid back and gentle, but when the same songs were played live they were less acoustic, louder and stronger.  On Radiolina some of the tracks are already closer to the live style of Manu Chao. In fact Panik Panik and Rainin In Paradize sound more like Mano Negra than Mano Negra's final album did, while others have the same sound and feeling as Clandestino or even the Amadou & Mariam album which Chao produced.

There is nothing on here quite as catchy as Bongo Bong or Me Gustas Tu but after a few more listens I would not be surprised if this turned out to be one of my favourites.  Already I am imagining how 13D, La Vida Tombola or The Bleedin Clown are going to sound live and counting the days until I can find out.