“Room Service” sets the scene for what is to come with a shuffling honky drive through the loneliness of a hotel room. Lit by Captain Bliss’s freight train harp it draws you deeply inside a smog of intoxicants. Brilliantly crafted, it opens wide the door to the album. The caustic lyrics of “Cold” tells of a relationship done to death through a deceptively upbeat country tempo. It’s a theme carried on with equal effect through “Rope” and “Lies”.

“Chained”, lit by Ord’s guitar, has Felix hopelessly drawn into a relationship that he knows will end in yet more pain. However, You Can Kick is not as gloomy as all this sounds. The craft in the songwriting is simply too good. “Go Again” , “Fishin’”, and “You Can Kick” are wonderful songs of two fingered defiance, whilst “Pass You By” is enchantingly melancholic. Hey Negrita have blended their influences, given them a great platform of solid songs and released a quality album of infectious melody that is full of real life experience.

On the strength of this it is little wonder that Hey Negrita has achieved such warm. reviews. You Can Kick has enough down to earth energy to wrap you up in its seductive melodies whilst its world wise lyrics throw open the lid on love, life, and living. Hey Negrita are a band for those that have lived a bit or certainly intend to.

Catch up on Hey Negrita on their Official Website or Myspace Profile.