Album Review: Federation of Horsepower’s Hermanos de Sangre

Hermanos de Sangre EP
(self-released)

It’s strange to think of a bunch of Midwestern white guys putting together this EP. It bookends three high-octane, full-throttle rock-and-roll numbers between an instrumental cumbia (“De Estas Mano…”) and a cover of the traditional Mexican song “Volver Volver.”

Somehow, it all works. The instrumental bridge in “The Tijuana Upholstery Job” sings like a mariachi band, and the swing of “Fried Chicken for Breakfast” sounds like something ZZ Top would broadcast from a border radio station. The inclusion of “The Queen of Rosedale,” which was on Federation’s debut album a full seven years ago, seems a little crazy, though. Why rerecord something old when you’re putting out so few songs, right? But the interplay between the soaring soul of Monique Danielle and frontman Gregg Todt — in addition to some royally beefed-up guitars — makes this track Hermanos de Sangre’s centerpiece. 

Listen to Hermanos de Sangre here.