7/10

After the love and praise they received for their previous full-length 'Sugar Now' back in 2015, the internationally diverse Cristobal And The Sea return with their next equally exciting studio album 'Exitoca'. With members hailing from a whole range of countries including Portugal, Spain, France, Egypt, and America, their sound is not only a melting pot of different cultures, but ultimately something completely new entirely.

Mixing up a snippet of tropical sounds with a very Western production, 'Exitoca' is said to be based on the US culture of the 1950s and 60s, in which Americans looked to move out to Hawaii and other island nations in order to fulfil their own American Dream in an island paradise. This obviously creates a very cohesive idea behind the sound of the record, taking sometimes a retro feel in order to understand its own concept.

But aside from the background idea of the album, the music itself is an incredibly enjoyable trip. Much like 'Sugar Now', the band have opted for a very high-tempo and uplifting direction, which not only keeps the listener engaged, but also helps maintain this feel good attitude the band intend to project.