For a guy who initially based his career on sounding like he passed through a time warp from 1929 into the 21st century,
Pokey LaFarge has developed a rare talent for jumping from era to era, picking up new sounds and styles along the way. He's developed an internationalist bent on his tenth studio album, 2024's
Rhumba Country. As the title suggests,
LaFarge has discovered he has a taste for Latin music since 2021's
In the Blossom of Their Shade, and on tracks like "One You, One Me," "For a Night," and "Run Like Run,"
LaFarge's twangy Midwestern voice accompanies tunes suitable for cutting the rug in the mambo or rhumba styles. At the same time, he's also put a fresh spin on these old-school Latin genres, with "One You, One Me" and "For a Night" built around rhythm loops, samples, and vintage tape loop keyboards like the Mellotron, creating an effect that's futuristic and nostalgic at once.
LaFarge also tips his toes into reggae and rocksteady on "Like a Sailor," evokes 1960s soul on "Sister Andre" and "Made to Be Loved," and digs some funky rock & roll on "It's Not Over." Anyone who pegged
LaFarge as a one-trick retro pony early on gets shown the door on
Rhumba Country; he clearly still loves the sounds of the past, but he knows the past covers a lot of ground, and he's willing to explore all his creative options. He's also a fine singer whose reedy voice becomes more adaptable with each album, and there's a warmth in his lyrics that's welcoming and sincere, especially when he adds touches of gospel on "Home Home Home" and "You Make My Garden Grow."
Pokey LaFarge manages to show off some depth and have a lot of fun at the same time on
Rhumba Country, and listeners should have a ball right along with him. ~ Mark Deming
