Lamarque - FIN

​Lamarque

FIN
self-released; 2016

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Mario Lamarque (lead guitar/vocals), Armando Villegas (bass) and Daniel Villegas (drums) are Lamarque. The Los Angeles based band plays grunge/alternative music with a twist you would never expect - they sing in Spanish. Ok it’s not that much a twist but it’s clearly a factor in their music worth mentioning. 

The three-piece band released a three-song effort entitled FIN. It’s a really well-produced professional sounding EP and also pretty straightforward. I was reminded of the Foo Fighters with some of the riffs as well as a number of other ’90s alternative bands that have become lost to the annals of time.

The band with the title track opens. I’ll go ahead and admit my Spanish isn’t very good but the lead singer seemed pretty convincing in what he was talking about. Aren’t most songs about the energy? What was Kurt Cobain singing about anyhow? The song has two levels - rocking out and rocking out harder. As I mentioned there was wasn’t very much that was unexpected. So if you are looking for a good alternative song, well this is your ticket.

The second song is titled “No Mas.” After an exhausting week long search I was able to track down my old high school Spanish teacher who was able to inform me that “No Mas” actually means “No More” in English. Incredible. This makes sense. Lamarque seems pretty upset in the song. The song is more dynamic than the first song. You get some very subdued soft sections as well as parts with amps turned up to ten type rocking. 

“Despertar” starts with a Foo Fighter-esque type riff. After the initial rocking the band gets into some pretty epic territory. It’s another solid track which gets the job done.

​After spending time with Spanish speaking grunge I’m convinced that I should move on to Spanish speaking folk and country. Sometimes you just need to switch it up. The ’90s may be over but the music still feels fresh to me. Recommended.

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