Laban releases new Single

Sewn into a string groove that is larger than life and yet remarkably understated next to the blustery bassline accenting its melody, the vivacious vocal of Latin lyricist Labán is melded into a harmony that will hypnotize anyone within its sonic reach this spring. To locate this mystical melodicism, one needn’t look any further than the smooth sounds of his new song “Para Ti,” the third single from his new album Todos Somos Dueños de Aquí, which hasn’t seen official release yet but has still managed to stir up quite the press storm lately (thanks to the success of sleeper hits “Dueños de Aquí” and “Quién da Más”). “Para Ti” employs a similar formula to its two predecessors, but jettisons away from the predictability of contemporary Latin pop on the whim of a jazzy rhythm that is elegantly designed and experimentally stylized. It’s one of them more ambitious tracks of its kind, but I don’t find it to stretch the skillset of its star too thin. Labán is ready for the big leagues, and a single like this verifies as much.

There’s an underlying sadness in this vocal that is flanked by a bright optimism in the bassline. It’s a strikingly obtuse means of structuring a blue-colored pop tune, but then again, I’ve come to understand that nothing Labán does falls under the umbrella of “typical” as it relates to western music. You don’t have to be fluent in Spanish to understand what he’s trying to tell us here, and I would even suggest that the track has an even deeper meaning when we strip away the narrative in the lyrics altogether.

Labán isn’t communicating with us strictly through his command of the microphone at center stage in “Para Ti;” ironically, I think that his vocal isn’t even one of the strongest elements to behold in this song. The rhythm is righteous, the beats studded with an acrylic texture that I’ve only ever heard in post-punk and ambient music, and the guitars are rich with an immaculate tonality that, somehow, doesn’t overshadow the majestic resonance we get from the singing in the slightest.

Meticulously constructed, experimental within the parameters of mainstream music, flush with emotion and fashioned to appeal to jazz enthusiasts and occasional Latin pop buffs as well, “Para Ti” is another win for Labán, who has yet to disappoint this critic with any of his mighty melodicism so far. It’s not very often that we come across someone like this guy in the music industry; not only does he have a lot of unteachable talents that can carry him through a subpar pop song without too many hiccups, but perhaps more importantly, he doesn’t have nearly as cocky an attitude as some of his American competitors have. His swagger is undisputable in this single, but we never get the idea that he’s biting off more than he can chew as a performer. He’s got a little ways to go before he’ll be an international superstar, but he’s on the right track in “Para Ti” for sure.

Mindy McCall

The music of Labán has been heard all over the world due to the promotional services offered by Danie Cortese Entertainment & Publicity. Learn more here – http://www.daniecorteseent.com/