Kicking the same old can
By now, Los Lobos qualify as a Los Angeles institution—but the problem with institutions is that they tend to produce predictable products. Tin Can Trust fits the mold David Hidalgo and company have constructed over the last 30 plus years—namely, blues-infused rock, with Hidalgo’s numerous solos serving as high points.
The first half of Tin Can is upbeat enough, but the second half drags, rescued only by mid-tempo instrumental “Do the Murray” and the traditional Mexican arrangement of “Mujer Ingrata,” which break up the slow-blues monotony that threatens to overtake the album. That’s Los Lobos’ thing, of course: All of Tin Can’s shifting tempos make you feel like you’re getting a new song each time, but really, you’ve heard it all before.